This is the moment a ‘carer’ was captured abusing a non-verbal woman he was supposed to be looking after.
Joseph Jones was filmed restraining the vulnerable victim on the sofa and placed his hand on her mouth to stop her screaming hysterically at him.
The victim reportedly had red marks on her neck where Jones had pressed himself against her.
The incident, on New Year’s Eve 2022 at the client’s home in Sandbach, Cheshire, was caught on camera by a shocked colleague who had become suspicious of Jones’ behaviour in the days before.
Jones was sentenced at Chester Crown Court last Friday to 10 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, after pleading guilty to ill-treatment or wilful neglect by a care worker.
Jones, 31, of Wrexham, was also given 150 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay prosecution costs and a victim surcharge.
The patient, who has not been named, is understood to have complex medical needs and needed round-the-clock care provided at her home by staff from Sugarman Health and Wellbeing.
In the clip, Jones can be heard shouting ‘I want you to stop and be nice. Stop screaming. Stop screaming now.
‘No more screaming now because you don’t get what you want.
‘Let go of me now. You can sit there kicking and shouting all you want to stop.’
The pair both get increasingly agitated and Jones tells her: ‘Listen to me. Stop screaming and you can ask nicely. I will sit here until you stop screaming now.’
Pictures later showed the victim with marks around her neck as a result of the incident and further videos show the defendant asleep at work on the sofa.
Speaking after the case, Jones’ former colleague who recorded his behaviour Thomas-James Clarke, 38, of Crewe, said he was disgusted Jones managed to avoid jail.
He said: ‘I was really shocked. There is no justice for her. I feel like he should have gone to prison for what he did.
‘It sets an example that other people can get away with it in the sector. It feels so lenient it is disgusting.’
Thomas-James said the client moved from another care firm to Sugarman Health and Wellbeing in September 2022.
He added: ‘She is autistic, non verbal and had a lot of behavioural challenges.
‘Jones started by taking musical toys off her, locking them in the cupboard as he wanted to go to sleep.
‘One day she was showing challenging behaviour and was running around screaming. She threw something so he dragged her by the arm and pushed her onto the sofa. Whilst on the sofa she was screaming and he puts his hand over her mouth to stop her screaming.
‘You can see he sticks his head into her head. She had red marks on her neck which you can see clearly in the pictures.
‘I videoed him doing it. It all started as his behaviour in the build-up left me to fear something was about to happen.’
Police launched an investigation into the incident after the footage was shared.
Jones was later arrested and initially denied the charges but later pleaded guilty on one count and was sentenced by His Honour Judge Everett.
He was also charged with intentional strangulation but the prosecution was satisfied with the guilty plea to count one so the second charge was directed to ‘lie on file.’
Thomas added: ‘I had a great relationship with her. She was so loving and affectionate. She has been in the sector her whole life and her behaviour spiralled after it. You can see on the video and hear the distress in her voice about what is happening to her.
‘It took a couple of months to get that trauma out of her. This man was supposed to be the one looking out for her. Yet to treat her like that was disgusting.
He added: ”It was horrifying to watch and it affected me mentally. I had really bad dreams, nightmares and flashbacks.
‘We were supposed to be there to give her a better life from what she had previously – for it to continue in this day and age is nothing short of repulsive.’
has contacted Sugarman Health and Wellbeing for comment.