Mackay aged carer Neil Allan Jenkins pleads guilty to serious assault

A regional aged carer is being investigated by the Health Ombudsman after he assaulted a 91-year-old dementia patient. Here’s what happened.

Neil Allan Jenkins pleaded guilty to serious assault of a person over 60. He was a carer at Good Shepherds Lodge and he assaulted a 91-year-old dementia patient.

A Mackay aged carer was fired after he assaulted a 91-year-old dementia patient over alleged “homophobic” comments.

Neil Allan Jenkins had worked in aged care since he was 18.

But his 27-year strong career came crashing down when he struck an elderly man he had been caring for at Good Shepherd Lodge.

He hit the man over the head with the victim’s own walking stick.

Mackay Magistrates Court heard it was the only time Jenkins, now 45, had lashed out against a patient.

As a result his employment with the facility, where he had worked for two decades, was terminated and he is now under investigation by the Health Ombudsman over whether he can work in the industry again.

The incident occurred on October 11, 2022.

The court heard Jenkins was working with the 91-year-old man for about six months and it was known that because of his dementia he could be difficult and had outbursts at other staff.

On this particular day, the elderly man had been on the ground with his back against the wall.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Linden Pollard said Jenkins had been speaking to him and claimed the elderly man made comments including “fag” and “poofter”.

The court heard Jenkins took the man’s cane and struck him over the head with it – the victim hit back at Jenkins, who swiped him with his iPad.

Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan accepted the strike was just a tap and there were no injuries.

Jenkins pleaded guilty to serious assault of a person over 60.

Legal Aid Queensland solicitor Rosie Varley said the background to her client’s offending stemmed from issues in his relationship regarding his partner’s alcohol abuse over the past seven months and they had argued that day.

Neil Allan Jenkins pleaded guilty to serious assault of a person over 60. He was a carer at Good Shepherds Lodge and he assaulted a 91-year-old dementia patient.

“He was quite stressed going to work that day,” Ms Varley said.

“The victim did make homophobic slurs against my client … matters escalated on this day.”

Ms Varley argued her client’s conduct was “not protracted” and said the swipe with the iPad was “almost a reaction” to the victim lashing out.

“My client instructs that he is very remorseful,” she said, adding he had not worked since his termination and had been living off his savings.

The court heard he hoped to work in aged care again.

Ms Hartigan accepted the victim made a derogatory comment and determined Jenkins did not need supervision but said this conduct was an offence against a person.

As such she ordered Jenkins complete 240 hours of unpaid community service in 12 months.

A conviction was not recorded.