Woman sentenced for stuffing Wet Wipe in dementia patient’s mouth
An aged care worker from the northern beaches who was given a 12-month prison sentence after being convicted of assaulting a dementia patient, has vowed to clear her name.
Manly
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An aged care worker who was given a 12-month prison sentence to be served in the community for stuffing a scrunched up Wet Wipe into the mouth of a dementia patient has vowed to appeal her conviction.
Anita Prajapati, 31, of Dee Why, was found guilty in August of the assault at the “War Vets” home at Narrabeen, and today sentenced at Manly Local Court.
The court previously heard that Ms Prajapati also slapped the woman, aged in her late 80s, across the mouth after she screamed while her clothes were being changed.
At a previous hearing the court was told that her workmate Larissa Daley made a complaint to management after witnessing the assault on the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Prajapati denied the assault and argued in court that Ms Daley made up the incident because “bad blood” had developed between the workmates.
However, the Magistrate rejected this evidence and found Prajapati guilty of assault.
In making the decision, Magistrate Michelle Goodwin cited that Prajapati had maintained her innocence throughout proceedings, meaning there was “no discount for remorse”.
“I must consider a prison sentence. Is it better to place you in full-time custody to send a clear message out or can the sentence be served appropriately in the community?
“In my view a sentence of imprisonment is inevitable. How it is served is my next consideration.”
Magistrate Goodwin ultimately decided on a 12-month sentence to be served in the community, with 100 hours of community service.
“Abuse of the elderly in their most vulnerable years is abhorrent,” she said.
“A message must be sent to the community and the court won’t tolerate such abuse.”
Outside the court, Prajapati’s Barrister Derek Shridhar said they would appeal both the conviction of common assault and the penalty.
He said the allegations against his client were false and that the “medical evidence did not support” the outcome.
“Anita would like to clear her name and that’s why we have appeal courts,” Mr Shridhar said.
“We expect to have an appeal date in the next three to four weeks.”
He added that his client would also like to say she has worked in this profession her whole adult life and had an “impeccable record”.
He said Prajapati also wanted to make clear the “War Vets” itself was “professional and residents there are cared for respected and treated with utmost dignity”.
Inside the court Mr Shridhar said Prajapati had been married for 12 years and had a stepson she supports financially.
He said his client had worked at the “War Vets” for two and a half years, but had been in the profession her whole life and she was industrious and hardworking.
It was her chosen career.
Mr Shridhar said the family had struggled financially but she had gained new employment in a new industry and her new employer was aware of her circumstances.
Editor's note: On appeal Ms Prajapati had her conviction quashed in the Downing Centre District Court on March 18, 2020.
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