Ponterdawe woman 'can't be left alone' after abuse from carer

An elderly woman, aged 81, cannot be left alone following traumatic abuse by her carer, who was recently sentenced after being caught on camera mistreating her. The daughter of the victim revealed that the carer’s behavior was “cruel” and has had lasting effects on her mother’s well-being.

Louise Harris, 42, was handed a three-month prison term after CCTV footage captured her shouting drunken insults at Elizabeth Anne Shipton in Pontardawe, Neath Port Talbot. The video showed Harris screaming phrases like, “I hope you die in your sleep… you horrible cow.” Elizabeth’s daughter, Tracy Faram Shipton, described the abuse as “horrific” but criticized the sentence, calling it “laughable” given the severity of the treatment and criminal damage involved.

Though the family hoped to challenge the sentence, they cannot do so due to legal restrictions. Under the unduly lenient sentence scheme, only certain qualifying offenses can be referred for appeal by the attorney general. Initially, Harris faced a charge of attempted robbery, which would have allowed the family to seek an appeal, but this charge was withdrawn by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Tracy expressed that her mother now requires constant supervision, stating, “Mum can’t be left on her own at all now.”

The CPS explained their decision by saying there was not enough evidence to maintain the robbery and theft accusations. A spokesman commented, “We keep all cases under review and on this occasion concluded that our legal test was not met, as there was insufficient evidence to prosecute the defendant with attempted robbery and theft.” They also mentioned that the victim had been informed of the reasoning behind their decision.

Harris, who struggles with alcoholism, had consumed a bottle of vodka she found in the fridge prior to the incident. She also destroyed Elizabeth’s knitting, which, according to Tracy, was “the only thing helping my mother through the grief.” The outburst seemed triggered when Elizabeth accidentally pressed her emergency alarm, which connected to a crisis helpline. The court heard that Harris had threatened the household by waving a large kitchen knife while damaging the property.

Tracy discovered the abuse after checking the family’s video surveillance system, originally set up to monitor Elizabeth’s late father. “The police had to break the door down,” she stated. The family feels disheartened that Harris will serve just 40% of her sentence before being released. Tracy said, “I can’t get my head around it. For her to be serving just over a month is unbelievable. We’ve been living this day in, day out.

Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More