An elderly Vietnam veteran who served as a “tunnel rat” has been jailed for bashing his neighbour, a fellow veteran, at their Cairns retirement village. But Judge Dean Morzone has urged 73-year-old Robert Glenn Speakman to finally get help for the ghosts that have haunted him for 50 years and likely contributed to this attack. Speakman was found guilty of grievous bodily harm against Wayne Maxwell Campbell, also 73, after a jury spent almost two days deliberating following a trial in the Cairns District Court. The court heard Mr Campbell suffered 13 fractures to his ribs, was left with bone fragments floating in his chest cavity and would likely have died if not treated following the assault at Warhaven in Manunda in July 2018. Judge Morzone handed Speakman a four-year jail sentence on Friday with a parole release date in July 2022. But he also spoke of Speakman’s distinguished service to his country as part of the 17th Construction Squadron. “You were surely a hero but you returned to your home country broken,” he said. “It’s time you do your darnedest, that you work through matters that have been too painful.”
December 1, 2020
National peak body for spiritual care and ageing, Meaningful Ageing Australia, has appointed Adam McIntosh to the Board of Directors at the recent organisation’s annual general meeting (AGM).
November 30, 2020
A s.394 (application for unfair dismissal remedy) from Alissa Dodd citing Anglican Aged Care Services Group t/as Benetas has been rejected by Commissioner McKinnon in Melbourne on 25 November 2020. (Application for an unfair dismissal remedy – application dismissed for want of prosecution).
November 30, 2020
Sphere Healthcare Pty Ltd has a s.739 (application to deal with a dispute) with which it must deal before Fair Work Deputy President Cross by telephone in Sydney (Awu).
November 30, 2020
An aged care worker who was given power of attorney over an elderly resident whittled her savings down to only $9000, a court has heard. Kaylene Stanborough, 52, was on Monday sentenced in the County Court after pleading guilty to two charges, including dishonestly obtaining financial advantage for herself and a co-accused. The court heard Stanborough was employed as an administration assistant at Jacaranda Village in Red Cliffs, near Mildura. An elderly resident, who was 88 and 89 during the offending, had complained to the aged care home’s chief executive that her neighbours were taking advantage of her. In response, the chief executive set up a joint power of attorney between herself and Stanborough to manage the resident’s financial affairs. The inclusion of Stanborough was said to be for the sake of transparency. However, Stanborough in late 2015 began transferring money out of the resident’s account. Over 13 days, into early 2016, $27,1000 was removed, said to benefit a co-accused who Stanborough was in a relationship with at the time. Between March 2016 and February 2017, a further $104,969 was removed from the account, with various withdrawals and transfers. For some of the transactions, Stanborough used blank withdrawal forms with the resident’s signature. Withdrawals took place at the Westpac branches in Red Cliffs and Mildura. Money from these transactions ended up in the accounts of both the co-accused, who had since “disappeared”, and Stanborough. The scheme was only uncovered after the resident died in 2017. A solicitor managing the estate made investigations after only about $9000 was left in the resident’s account. Westpac later repaid the money to the estate. The court heard a psychologist described the co-accused as a “controlling and violent partner”. Stanborough was said to be deeply traumatised, requiring extensive treatment and vulnerable to coercion. Her offending was explained as stemming from fear of her partner. Judge Peter Lauritsen accepted this link, but said Stanborough had abused the trust that was placed in her. “Your activities were disgraceful,” Judge Lauritsen said. Stanborough was sentenced to a community corrections order lasting two years and three months, with conditions that she complete 200 hours of unpaid community work and receive mental health treatment.
November 30, 2020
A registered nurse from Brisbane pleaded guilty to stealing a visa debit card from an elderly patient’s purse and using it to make hundreds of dollars worth of purchases, in what was described as an out-of-character “brain explosion” at the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court this week. The court heard Michelle Lorna Pauline Peroumal, 44, had a passion for nursing, having pursued the career as a mature-aged student after time working as a ward and orderly. Peroumal completed her bachelor’s degree in 2014 and went on to both teach at a local university and work as an agency nurse at an aged care facility, where she ultimately began to care for an 87-year-old woman. The court heard that during Peroumal’s shift on July 26 she went into the elderly woman’s handbag and took her bank card, leaving with it at the completion of her shift. On the same day, at 2pm, she made the first of a total of nine purchases at the Officeworks in North Lakes, using Paypass. Over the next three hours, Peroumal racked up $589.73 of spending on the card, using it at Bunnings North Lakes and at the TSG, BWS, Woolworths, Priceline and Liquorland at the Aspley Hypermarket. Her final purchase was from the RESA Safety Store in Kedron, where she purchased clothing items. Magistrate Leanne Scoines described the crime as opportunistic, risky and far from sophisticated, noting Peroumal must have known the likelihood of her being caught was high, given the prevalence of CCTV footage at the locations she used the card and the limited number of people with access to the elderly woman’s belongings. In her sentencing Ms Scoines noted how baffling it was to see a hard working woman who was clearly passionate about her job jeopardise it in such a way, particularly given her absolute lack of criminal history. “I don’t know where your mind was at the time, but it’s almost like you had suspended your understanding of how life works,” she said. “The relationship between nurse and patient is based on trust, and you breached that trust. “(The victim) couldn’t have been more vulnerable. It’s unacceptable to exploit anyone, but certainly in aged care.” Peroumal was sentenced to 40 hours of community service and ordered to pay $589.73 in restitution to the victim. No conviction was recorded. Peroumal lost her job in the wake of the incident and will be due to have her registration reviewed in May next year.
November 30, 2020
An aged care worker has been found guilty of bashing a dementia patient in his care at an Adelaide nursing home. Michael Mullen, 55, claims the 77-year-old woman received the injuries from a fall. Mullen is due to reappear in court in April before being sentenced. A man who savagely bashed and choked a great-grandmother had targeted the vulnerable in NSW nursing homes during a string of terrifying robberies before being caught by police. Peter Bui, 44, first broke into Orange’s Ascott Gardens Nursing Home in November last year and stole cash from a resident’s wallet before throwing a bag containing a used incontinence pad at a nurse when he was confronted, agreed facts state. About two weeks later Bui snuck into 84-year-old great-grandmother Patricia Maton’s home at Huon Park Retirement Village in Turramurra and stole valuable jewellery including a solitaire diamond ring. Ms Maton returned to her unit after seeing her doctor and asked Bui what he was doing near her jewellery box when he savagely set upon her, punching her to the floor and choking her until she momentarily lost consciousness. Bui’s attack on Ms Maton increased in severity when women walked past the unit down a hallway because she believed he was trying to keep her quiet and once the noise had passed he fled, the fact sheet states. Ms Maton crawled to a phone with multiple facial injuries and called her daughter before emergency crews rushed her to hospital where she had to undergo an operation which revealed a deep laceration inside her mouth. A follow-up consultation revealed she suffers from ongoing symptoms of anxiety and depression following the attack. The next month Bui’s family member took a call from police and immediately phoned him to ask if he had done anything wrong. Bui replied “nothing, but if they ask you anything tell them I was with you on those dates” and the family member hung up on him, according to the documents. Bui, of Orange, was arrested later that day at a service station in Wahroonga and hit with a string of serious charges including the attempted murder of Ms Maton. The documents state before his arrest Bui had also stolen jewellery from a unit on Coollooli Dr in Narrabeen and when he was arrested he was found wearing a stolen watch from the flat. An RSL LifeCare Village is located on that Narrabeen street. Court records show Bui’s attempted murder charge was withdrawn and he will be sentenced in February over multiple other charges including inflicting grievous bodily harm. His matter has been moved up to the District Court for sentencing from the Local Court because his charges are so serious. Ms Maton’s daughter Caroline previously said her mother, who has lived in Turramurra and St Ives for most of her life, had been a resident of the home for only six week before the attack. “She just can’t believe this has happened and she feels extremely violated – your home is supposed to be your safe place,” the daughter said.
November 30, 2020
The Health Services Union and Uniting have a s.739 – (Application to deal with a dispute) to resolve before Fair Work Deputy President Mansini (By Telephone) in Melbourne.
