Carer sexually abused disabled man, jury told

Jurors heard on separate occasions his 20-year-old carer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, squirted hot shower water over the man’s body and genitals, over-fed him, pulled his earlobes and kissed him saying: ‘you love me’.

His male carer is accused of seven multiple incident counts of ill-treatment by a carer and a multiple-incident count of sexual assault.

Rebecca Austin, prosecuting, yesterday told the jury: ‘What the prosecution allege in short is that the man, while employed as a carer subjected [him], a person under his care, to ill-treatment or wilful neglect and also subjected him to sexual assault.’

Ms Austin said the man relied on the carer for ‘intensive’ and ‘intrusive’ care. She said the man told police the carer tipped him back in his shower chair adding: ‘He repeats that the carer found all this hilarious.

‘[The victim] said that he did what he did for his own amusement and that he found it extremely funny.’

At Portsmouth Crown Court Ms Austin said the man told police the carer would look after him in a way that in effect meant he performed a sex act upon him.

Giving evidence in footage played in court, the man, who cannot be named, said the carer had also kissed him and he was left feeling ‘worthless’ and ‘intimidated’ by the carer’s actions.

The man said: ‘He would try and kiss me up and down my neck, he thought it was hilarious by being in bed with me.’

He also said the carer would twist his ankle on care visits.

The man, who describes himself as ‘vulnerable’ and a ‘captive audience’, added: ‘I did tell him it was abuse because it was after the bed thing. He said “no it’s not.. it’s only a joke I don’t mean any harm”. But he did.’

The allegations only came to light when the man told a support worker, the court heard.

The carer denies seven counts of ill-treatment by a carer under the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 and sexual assault. Jurors were told the seven ill-treatment counts were: sprayed the man with hot water from the shower on his body and genitals; tipping back the man’s shower chair causing him to be in fear; manipulating the man’s ankle or knee while applying cream causing him to be in fear; getting into bed with the man causing him fear; pulling the man’s ear lobe thereby causing him pain; deliberately over-feeding the man; using threatening or abusive words or behaviour. (Proceeding)