Care Workers Jailed Over Neglect of Vulnerable Boy
Two carers who looked after an eight-year-old boy with a rare syndrome in Bournemouth have been sentenced over shocking neglect.
Debora Nelson Simoes Nunes-Filho, 36, from Mountbatten Gardens, Bournemouth, and Katie Clark, 43, from Foxholes Road, Poole, appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court on November 27, 2020. They were convicted of assaulting and neglecting a child in their care, causing unnecessary suffering and risk to his health.
Suspended Jail and Community Service for Serious Neglect
Both women received two-year prison sentences, suspended for 18 months, alongside 200 hours of unpaid community work. They had been hired by a care agency to provide overnight, “wake-in” care for the boy from August 2018 — a role requiring constant vigilance.
The boy’s condition meant carers could not sleep during shifts. He needed round-the-clock medical support for pain relief, breathing problems, and monitoring via a SATS pulse oximeter attached to his toe. The care plan expressly forbade leaving him alone while awake.
Shocking CCTV Footage Reveals Carers Failing Duty
When the boy’s behaviour worsened in April 2019, his mother began secretly recording the carers through a home CCTV system. She found her son left alone in his bedroom while Nunes-Filho wandered to the kitchen.
Footage showed Nunes-Filho spent just 33 minutes with the awake child over six hours, often sitting in the lounge watching TV, even nodding off. She failed to attach the vital SATS monitor during sleep and falsified observation charts despite the monitor being off.
Similar concerns emerged about Clark. One night, when the boy’s monitor alarm sounded around 1.30am after being knocked off, Clark ignored it and switched the alarm off without reattaching the device. She was later seen asleep in the lounge, leaving the boy unmonitored and unsupervised.
Clark also took a permitted cigarette break during duty hours — leaving the vulnerable child alone in the house.
Police Step In After Multi-Agency Probe
The neglect sparked a multi-agency investigation. Dorset Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Team charged both carers after gathering evidence from CCTV and care records.
“These carers were fully aware of the boy’s complex medical needs and the risks that could be posed by failing to give him sufficient attention,” said Detective Constable Laura McQueen.
“Their actions fell well below the standard of care they were expected to provide. It is fortunate that there were not more serious consequences as a result of their neglect.”
“Thanks go to the care company for their co-operation, and to all involved in holding these defendants accountable,” she added.
