Craigavon: Carer who took videos of dementia patients sentenced

Families have said their grieving process was made more difficult after a senior nursing assistant took and shared videos of patients with advanced dementia.

Ciara Corvan was sentenced to two years probation and 100 hours community service.

The 28-year-old from Cathedral View in Armagh, was working at the Bluestone Unit of Craigavon Area Hospital in 2023 when she took the videos, which included comments deemed offensive.

Colleagues who received the videos reported the behaviour.

In May of this year Corvan pleaded guilty to seven charges against four victims.

The court heard these included a video of a patient in the bath, another of a patient in bed and another with her nose almost touching one of the patients.

On Monday, Judge Patrick McGurgan said that, although the offending was not physical in nature, it was a “serious breach of trust”.

“Each family who placed a love one in care as a last resort expects them to be treated with respect and dignity,” he said.

Handing down a sentence of two years probation and 100 hours community service for seven counts of ill treatments of patients under the Mental Health Order (NI) 1986.

“It was demeaning to those you owed a duty of care to. I do not expect you were naive in this matter. The public must have confidence in those who provide care,” he said.