Two callous care workers have been convicted of abusing dementia patients at a Salford residential care home.
Abana Arshad, 23, of Crumpsall, denied a charge of ill-treating a person without mental capacity, but was convicted after her recent trial at Manchester Magistrates' Court.
Amy Greenhalgh, 24, of Eccles, admitted the same charge at an earlier hearing.
Ill-treating or wilfully neglecting a person without mental capacity is an offence under section 44 of the Mental Health Capacity Act 2004.
The offence has a maximum penalty of 26 weeks' custody and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction; 5 years' custody and/or an unlimited fine on conviction on indictment.
The pair worked at Laburnum Court Care Home in Salford, which offers around the clock nursing care for elderly residents with complex medical and mental health needs.
The specimen charges relate to incidents that took place on 15th July 2018, when the pair were working together on Laburnum Court's specialist 31-bed elderly mentally infirm (EMI) unit.
District Judge James Hatton heard that the despicable duo loaded their pockets with gravel to later hurl at their victims. As the gravel rained down the pair laughed and used their mobile phones to capture the distress caused.
Arshad and Greenhalgh are thought to have targeted up to seven of Laburnum Court's elderly residents. They carried out the abuse behind the backs of the unsuspecting colleagues, who were acting professionally and in the residents' best interests.
Workers at Laburnum Court had made the unusual discovery of gravel on the floors of several of the residents' rooms. The mystery was finally unravelled when Arshad was observed filling her pockets with gravel from the driveway outside.
Fearing they were about to be exposed, the pair tried to shift the blame towards some of the residents and branded a senior colleague a "crackhead" in an attempt to discredit their concerns. They also conspired with each other to delete incriminating posts from Facebook and footage from their mobile phones.
In a Facebook exchange Greenhalgh said: "Someone's reported us about stones being thrown."
Arshad responded: "Are you for real? You can't trust anyone in work I swear. Haha. Just say Jack threw something at Cindy. Delete it all off your phone to be on the safe side."
Greenhalgh added: "Did we get all the stones off the floor in the rooms?"
Abana replied: "Don't think anybody will clock that. I'll back you."
A senior Laburnum Court colleague told the court: "One pair of rolled up gloves was thrown at a female resident called Cindy and she thought another male resident called Jack had thrown it and a verbal altercation then broke out between them.
"But it was either Abana or Amy who threw as one admitted it to another carer.
"Later on Jack was in the garden shouting out in what I would assume to be pain. He was saying 'ow' and he became physically aggressive.
"One of the other carers was not able to bring him into the lounge and this was being recorded and Amy and Abana where in the back laughing and recording on the phone in the back of the lounge.
"Later when I went outside on a break I saw Abana, stand up from bending down and put something into her pocket. A couple of stones dropped out of her hand and she put her hands into her pockets and returned through the main entrance.
"Upon returning one of the other residents was shouting: "Stop it. Why are you doing that? Get away". It was over and over again and she was quite distressed.
"Abana and Amy were both there in the doorway of her room. I went into the lady's room and there was some stones on the floor under her chair on in her lap.
"I spoke to her but she wasn't able to tell me what had happened so, I just reassured her. Then I could hear the resident next door shouting: "Stop doing that. Don't throw them at me, don't throw them at me".
"I went into her room and there were stones on the floor. I asked Abana and Amy what they where doing but they were just laughing and didn't give me proper reasons.
"There was a comment made one of the other residents who had been in bed and she tried to chase both of them when they threw stones at her. Abana threw a stone and then blamed another resident."
Robert Stevenson, a mental health nurse at Laburnum Court, said: "I was working in my office and a member of staff came into the office and said she had just witnessed two members of staff throwing stones at residents and filming them.
"Abana had left the building already but I asked for Amy to come to the office to talk to her. I was told Abana had thrown a glove at another resident and I said a report would have to be done and I escorted Amy off the premises.
"I spoke to Cindy and she said somebody threw a glove and there was lots of laughing.
"She said it upset her a bit but as people were laughing she assumed it was "okay." I did know that one members of night staff did say she found some stones in some of the rooms that these events had alleged took place in.
Ashad and Greenhalgh were arrested and interviewed by the police, but gave conflicting accounts and tried to blame each other for the incidents.
District Judge James Hatton said: "Both defendants provided care for people who had mental impairments. They lacked any capacity and not be able to defend themselves.
"Both these defendant lied in interview and blamed each other, two colleagues and sought to shift responsibility onto other residents.
"They clearly knew what they were doing was wrong and amounted to ill treatment. What other inference could I possibly draw from people that are throwing stones and laughing at people they should be caring for.
"Both were present, both were involved and both laughed. They are as guilty as one another and they stand convicted and at risk of an immediate custodial sentence."
Arshad and Greenhalgh will be sentenced next month and the Judge kept all sentencing options open.
Update (15/1/20): Arshad and Greenhalgh have now been sentenced.
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