Whorlton Hall: Four guilty of ill-treating secure unit patients

Four carers person been recovered blameworthy of ill-treating patients astatine a unafraid hospital, pursuing a BBC Panorama investigation.

Nine erstwhile unit astatine Whorlton Hall, adjacent Barnard Castle, County Durham, had faced a full of 27 charges. Five of those connected proceedings person been cleared.

Lawyers for the defendants had argued they had been doing their champion successful challenging circumstances.

Those recovered blameworthy volition beryllium sentenced successful July.

The specializer infirmary for radical with analyzable needs was privately tally but funded by the NHS.

The BBC sent undercover newsman Olivia Davies to enactment astatine the portion for a Panorama documentary successful 2019. Whorlton Hall has since closed.

Jurors astatine Teesside Crown Court delivered the mixed verdicts aft 2 days of deliberation.

The 9 accused faced the pursuing fig of charges of sick attraction of a idiosyncratic successful care:

Peter Bennett was recovered blameworthy of 2 charges and cleared of 1 portion Matthew Banner was recovered blameworthy connected 5 counts and cleared of one.

Ryan Fuller was recovered blameworthy of 2 counts but cleared of 8 and John Sanderson was recovered blameworthy of 1 but cleared of another.

Karen McGhee, Darren Lawton, Sabah Mahmood, Niall Mellor and Sara Banner were recovered not blameworthy of each charges against them.

Some of the defendants wept loudly arsenic the verdicts were work out.