M10News | UK Crime Desk
LONDON — A Nigerian caregiver, Bilikesu Olagunju, was captured on hidden camera violently abusing an 88-year-old dementia patient in his Bexley, Kent home, just one day before the man was found unresponsive and later died in hospital.
The disturbing footage, recorded on Christmas Eve 2022, shows Olagunju, 42, dragging the frail pensioner, John Attard, across the floor, stripping him, and verbally threatening him while ignoring his repeated cries of pain.
“Maybe I will beat you up. I will flog you. I will take you to the GP to get injections. I will call the police on you,” Olagunju was heard saying during the 45-minute ordeal, according to court documents and reports by the Daily Mail.
Olagunju, who had been employed for just six days by care agency Unique Personnel UK, pleaded guilty to one count of ill-treating or wilfully neglecting a person in her care. She received a six-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to complete 50 hours of unpaid work.
The following morning, Mr Attard’s son, Chris, found his father unresponsive in bed, with blood visible on the side of his face. Despite being rushed to the hospital, Mr Attard never regained consciousness and passed away 10 days later.
Although the post-mortem could not establish a direct link between the abuse and his death, the family believes the trauma accelerated his decline.
Speaking after the sentencing, Chris Attard condemned both the carer and the care agency, calling the punishment “an insult.”
“If those cameras hadn’t been there, that person could still be out there treating elderly people like this,” he told reporters.
Shocking CCTV Evidence Presented in Court
The footage revealed Olagunju shouting at the elderly man, stripping him within view of the street, and dragging him by the collar and arms. Despite being advised by her employer not to move Mr Attard and to call an ambulance, she ignored the instructions, continuing to mishandle him and pour marmalade into his coffee despite his diabetes.
Throughout the video, Mr Attard can be heard pleading, “You are hurting me,” to which Olagunju responds with threats of violence.
Chris Attard described his father’s visible distress during the abuse, stating: “She is physically trying to lift him like a rag doll. His face shows the discomfort and pain he’s feeling.”
On Christmas morning, Chris found his father unresponsive, triggering a criminal investigation.
Addressing Olagunju in court, Chris said: “You can never take back the memories you left my father with at the end of his life, or the memories you have now left us with for the rest of our lives. Imagine it was me assaulting your loved one — what sentence would you want the court to give me?”
Judge Condemns Care Standards
Presiding Judge Charlotte Welsh criticised both Olagunju’s actions and the care company’s practices, stating: “It beggars belief that someone would be allocated an elderly man with dementia as their first client.”
The judge acknowledged that being a carer is challenging, but stressed Olagunju’s actions showed a failure to provide dignity and respect.
Olagunju, who wept silently during the hearing, expressed remorse through her lawyer, Mr Tijani, admitting she had failed in her duty and was “ashamed” of her conduct. Her legal team argued she lacked proper training and had only recently arrived in the UK.
Family Demands Accountability from Care Agency
Following the sentencing, Chris Attard shifted focus to Unique Personnel UK, blaming the agency for inadequate vetting and training.
“From now on, that woman is out of my head. My mission is to expose this company,” Chris declared. “They should have been in the dock alongside her. This is a care company sending people to the homes of elderly and vulnerable individuals and putting them at risk.”
Unique Personnel UK has not issued a public statement regarding the incident.
The case has raised renewed concerns over care standards and accountability within the UK’s home care industry, particularly for elderly and vulnerable individuals living alone.
Report compiled by M10News Crime Desk, credit Daily Mail.
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