How Corey Lucas lied to cover up his abuse of Clarence Hausler
THE carer who admitted to a horrific attack on an elderly Adelaide care home resident told neighbours he was “going on a holiday” for several weeks shortly before he was jailed.
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THE carer who admitted to a horrific attack on an elderly Adelaide care home resident told neighbours he was “going on a holiday” for several weeks shortly before he was jailed.
Corey Lyle Lucas, 27, was in hiding on Tuesday, just days after finishing a four-week prison term for the violent acts against the dementia-suffering pensioner almost a year ago.
Lucas was jailed last month for the aggravated assault on bedridden Clarence Hausler, 89, at the Mitcham Residential Care Facility, at Kingswood, in Adelaide’s south.
Authorities are under pressure to explain why the carer only spent a month in prison despite facing a maximum three years in jail.
Lucas, of Camden Park, was bunkered down in his rented western suburbs flat as he deleted social media profiles and refused to answer The Advertiser’s questions.
While his blinds were down, music could be heard from his second floor apartment and lights and a heater appeared to be on.
Neighbours expressed shock at hidden camera footage, taken by his victim’s daughter, which showed the carer attempting to “suffocate” the pensioner, who cannot walk or communicate.
The covert video shows Mr Hausler, fighting back as the carer repeatedly stuffs a napkin in his mouth and over his nose.
It also shows him violently force-feeding the pensioner, sneezing on him and hitting him on the head.
Alison Rodgers said Lucas, her neighbour for the past two years, had told her shortly before his sentencing that he was going on holiday to Victoria and would away for several weeks.
She did not believe he was capable of harming a vulnerable person until she saw the “pretty shocking” video.
She said: “I would never think he’d do something like that. He’s normally quite nice.
“It’s just really upsetting. If you see something like that happening to one of your relatives you’d be pretty upset.
“I imagine the job is frustrating sometimes but you don’t act like that to someone who’s vulnerable and can’t defend themselves.”
Noleen Hausler, who shot the footage that was first aired by the ABC’s 7.30 on Monday night, was pivotal in securing Lucas’ conviction.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated assault (no weapon) on August 31 and September 9 last year. She declined to comment about the sentence.
While Magistrate Bob Harrap’s sentencing remarks were unavailable, legal experts say the crime was aggravated because of the victim’s age and vulnerability.
He jailed Lucas for seven months but despite the serious nature of his crimes, but then suspended almost its entire duration if he entered into an 18-month, $200 good behaviour bond. Lucas served only a month in prison and was released almost three weeks ago.
SA Police, who prosecuted the case instead of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, last night refused to comment or say why they did not appeal.
Attorney-General John Rau said he did not comment on “individual cases”.