Carer Alicia Gawronski faces court after alleged dementia patient assault

Alicia Gawronski faced Wollongong Local Court for hearing on Friday, more than a year after she allegedly punched and verbally abused an elderly patient she was caring for

Alicia Gawronski (left) leaving Wollongong Local Court with a family member on August 23.

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A police recording which captures the moment a young woman unleashes a tirade of verbal abuse on an elderly dementia patient she was caring for has been released.

Alicia Gawronski faced Wollongong Local Court for hearing on Friday, more than a year after she allegedly punched and verbally abused an elderly patient she was caring for after she fell on the floor of her Thirroul home.

Gawronski, 26, was charged with common assault and intimidation after the alleged attack on the 81-year-old she cared for. Gawronski faced the first day of hearing on August 23, after pleading not guilty to the charges.

According to court documents, police were called to the Station Street address about 10.45pm on August 31, 2018, after a neighbour reported concerns for the elderly woman’s wellbeing.

When Senior Constables Brack Lipinksi and Daniel Mansfield arrived at the home, they watched the ordeal unfold, recording the horrifying incident on a smartphone.

In a recording played to the court on Friday, Gawronski can allegedly be heard yelling at the woman while she is on the toilet, telling her “you’re full of s**t, you’re a carry on. No one’s going to believe you, you’re full of s**t, and you’ve got dementia, remember that.”

The recording captured the elderly woman moaning and screaming, before several slapping noises and Gawronski saying “do it again, I dare ya”.

On Friday, Gawronski’s lawyer Elias Tabchouri argued while his client’s language was “colourful”, it was the way she and the elderly woman communicated.

“As far as the language is concerned, there is a relationship there, and that is the way they speak to each other,” he said.

After walking to the rear of the home, Senior Constable Lipinski began filming through the backdoor, where he and Senior Constable Mansfield allegedly saw Gawronski and the alleged victim, who was not wearing any pants, walk from the bathroom through the kitchen and into the loungeroom.

Alicia Gawronski leaving Wollongong Local Court on August 23.

On Friday, Senior Constable Lipinski told the court it was here he and his partner witnessed Gawronski assault the elderly woman after she fell to the floor.

“She punched the victim in the left upper thigh with a closed fist,” he said.

“She did it with enough force to move the victim’s leg.”

Senior Constable Mansfield also recalled the alleged punch, telling the court the impact caused a “loud thud” sound.

But, Mr Tabchouri argued that what the police officers had witnessed was Gawronski putting baby powder on the elderly woman’s lower half before putting on an adult diaper.

But Senior Constable disagreed, telling the court he did not see the Gawronski holding any baby powder.

Following the alleged punch, Senior Constable Lipinski, told the court Gawronski “lifted the victim’s legs up and down” with “no respect”.

“[She] was very rough in handling what I believed to be a frail person,” he said.

“At one point I have observed the accused lift both the victim’s legs in the air, causing the victim to lose her seated balance and fall backwards with no support.”

Mr Tabchouri argued against the police officer’s version of events, telling the court his client was not “too rough”, and that the elderly did not fall back without support.

On Friday, the court heard Gawronski had been living with the alleged victim for 18-months, after being appointed her full-time carer and legal guardian.

The 26-year-old did not speak during the appearance and broke down in tears several times as police recounted what the had witnessed on the night of the alleged attack.

The case was adjourned on Friday, with the hearing to continue in October.