Woman to plead guilty to assaulting elderly care home resident

ONE of six HSE employees who featured in undercover video footage shot for RTÉ's Primetime programme is pleading guilty to three charges of assault on elderly residents at the Áras Attracta care home in Swinford. 

The full facts of the assaults committed by Joan Gill (62), Dublin Road, Swinford, will be outlined to Judge Mary Devins at a sitting of the district court in the new year. Ms. Gill will then be sentenced.

Five other care staff at the HSE-run facility - Pat McLoughlin, Lalibella, Mayfield, Claremorris, Anna Ywunong Bostimbo, Lowpark Avenue, Charlestown, Kathleen King, Knockshanbally, Straide, Foxford, Christine Delaney, Lissatava, Hollymount, and Joan Walsh, Carrowilkeen, Curry, Co. Sligo - are all pleading not guilty to a single charge of assault. They will be tried at a special district court sitting in the Castlebar court complex from January 4 to 8 next.

Extensive video evidence will be shown during the trials of the five accused, who are pleading not guilty.

Some 190 hours of video footage was filmed covertly last November in Bungalow 3 of the Áras Attracta complex. Last month, Judge Devins, at a special hearing, ruled that footage shot by an undercover reporter will be admissible in the cases.

Today (Wednesday), at Swinford District Court (sitting in Ballina), Mr. Brendan McDonagh, counsel for Joan Gill, indicated to Judge Devins that she would be pleading guilty to three of the assault charges on a full facts basis.

Mr. McDonagh said an agreement had been reached with the State on two further assault charges which Ms. Gill was facing.

Today's court was told that two of the five who are pleading not guilty will be seeking further disclosure of State evidence before their trials are held.

Ms. Gill's case will come up for mention before Judge Devins on January 7. She will be sentenced at a later date.

One of the reasons why Castlebar courthouse has been selected for the trials is that it equipped with modern facilities for viewing CCTV footage.

The State is mostly relying on this filmed material in its cases against the five defendants.