A caregiver who was caught on security camera torturing his patient for hours has been arrested.
Enow Tambe, 33, was one of two carers looking after the 60-year-old man, who has learning difficulties and is registered blind. Manchester Crown Court was told the man required 24/7 care and lived in supported accommodation.
After the man’s sister became concerned about his care, she set up CCTV which captured the horrific nature of Tambe’s care of him. The man can be seen shouting in her face, threatening to shave her head, nudging her repeatedly and laughing at her when she had no choice but to urinate on the floor.
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Tambe was found guilty of being a carer who abused an individual and was sentenced to 11 months in prison.
The court heard that the 60-year-old man had learning difficulties, was visually impaired and lived in supported accommodation provided by Manchester City Council.
David Lees, prosecuting, said he was given 24-hour care, with two carers during the day and one at night, including Tambe.
“It’s been a while [his] “He was concerned about his sister’s care and had security cameras installed in the flat,” he said.
Tambe and another member of staff were looking after the man on March 14 last year. The quality of care declined after Tambe arrived, Mr Lees said.
“She asked them to change the television, but the defendant left the other caregiver in the room and they both ignored her. She asked if anyone was there and accused the caregivers of ignoring her,” the prosecutor said.
“Mr Tambe was seen shouting in his face: ‘Are you in there?’ The man demanded they switch the television back on before Tambe told him he was going to put him in the shower and shave his head.
“He then gently tapped her on the shoulder before putting on gloves and picking up the electric shaver. He plugged it in and placed it near her head.”
The court heard the man was ‘obviously distressed’ at this point. He could be heard begging for ‘one more chance’.
Tambe said if the man insulted her he would ‘insult her’ before calling her a ‘bad carer.’ Tambe was seen hitting the back of her hand and poking her repeatedly, and also hitting her in the face loudly, causing her to jump.
She is heard shouting ‘Are you there?’ in the man’s face again and hitting him on the head several times.
“At 19.10 he was heard saying ‘I’m going to die tonight’ and Tambe replied ‘We’re going to bury you’,” Lees continued.
“He looked very distressed. And Mr Tambe seems to be shaking him and telling him to go for a walk.”
In the harrowing 40-minute footage, the man can be heard shouting: “Why are you ignoring me?” and as Tambe repeatedly touches him, he can be seen saying: “Will you leave me alone?”
Tambe was then heard saying: “I want to play with you now,” after which the man said: “You’re a bad babysitter.” Tambe replied: “I know.”
The court heard that the defendant at one point allowed the man to urinate on the floor and laughed at him.
Tambe was arrested and told authorities he did not intend to cause any harm.
The director of the nursing home later said that “emotional and physical violence was intense” from early morning until evening, and that the night shift caregiver then stepped in.
Michael Johnson, in mitigation, said: “The defendant told the supervisor that this was the most challenging patient the staff had to look after at the time. The defendant knows he has let down many friends and colleagues. He deeply regrets his actions.”
Johnson said he accepted that ‘constant demands were being made’ on Tambe and that ‘he should not be disappointed’.
“That’s the nature of looking after people with learning disabilities. That’s why there are two people in the room,” the sentencing judge said.
Admitting this, Mr Johnson said his client had been asked to work the shift ‘unexpectedly’ after receiving news of his grandfather’s sudden death. He added that he felt remorse and shame and had now ‘lost his good name’.
Sentencing him, Clerk Phillip Barnes said: “He was bullied, harassed, humiliated and abused for hours. He was ignored and refused help when he asked for it. He was blind and could not see what was going on around him.
“He was shouted at close range, threatened with having his head shaved. He was poked and prodded, not to harm him, but to scare, upset and bully him.
“Sometimes it was eight, twelve, fifteen times you were touched, something that upset him and something he asked you not to do. You could be seen and heard laughing.”
He said he had ‘abused his trust’ and targeted a seriously vulnerable man.
“The reason he was difficult was not because he wanted to provoke you or was trying to provoke you, but because he has a learning disability and is blind,” the judge continued.
“What scares me the most is that you’ve dedicated so much of your life to learning about people – you have a degree in social care – and yet you attacked her several times that afternoon.
“You’ve not only let your career down, you’ve embarrassed it.”
Tambe, of Moss Lane, jailed for 11 months