A former care worker who filmed herself crawling into a vulnerable pensioner’s room and threatening him has been handed 18 months supervision – leaving her victim’s family “saddened and disappointed”.
Shannon Ashley Anderson targeted William Maguire at Fodderty House Care Home in Dingwall, telling him: “I’ll gut you like a pig.”
This week at Inverness Sheriff Court she was placed on a community payback order following a structured deferred sentence, prompting Mr Maguire’s daughter to comment: “This outcome does not feel like justice for our Dad.”
Anderson, 26, appeared before Sheriff Sara Matheson for sentencing having previously admitted a charge of ill-treating or wilfully neglecting the 79-year-old.
Video of Dingwall carer threatening pensioner
An earlier hearing had been shown a video clip, shot on Anderson’s mobile phone, which captured her crawling across the floor of his room before startling him.
Mr Maguire – who has since passed away – looked visibly distressed as the care worker recorded herself growling the chilling threat.
At that calling of the case, fiscal depute David Morton told the court that at the time of the offence – September 22 2023 – Anderson was employed as a care assistant at the facility.
He said Mr Maguire was “a vulnerable adult” with vascular dementia who was disabled on the right-hand side of his body due to a stroke.
Mr Morton told Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald: “The circumstances are somewhat odd.
“During the course of a night shift, Miss Anderson has videoed herself using her mobile phone acting in the manner libelled – entering his room, crawling towards his bed and thereafter touching and pinching his face as indicated.”
The court heard that Anderson had sent the video via social media to another member of staff, who had alerted others.
Before playing the video to the court, Mr Morton said: “The video captures the nature of the charge and brings it to life in a way that my verbal narrative could not.”
In it, Anderson could be seen crawling along the floor into the elderly resident’s room, before startling him, pinching his face, and growling the threat.
Mr Morton told the sheriff: “It can be heard on the video, for the avoidance of doubt, ‘I’ll gut you like a pig’.”
‘This was just cruelty’
When the case first called for sentence, Anderson’s solicitor Graham Mann said his client had some health issues and a “troubled past”.
On that occasion, Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald told Anderson: “It is a troubling case. This was just cruelty.
“You were a person responsible for caring for a very vulnerable individual – what you did was appalling and difficult to watch.”
Referencing a pre-sentencing report the sheriff said: “It says that you are ashamed. You should feel ashamed because this was an awful thing to do to somebody.”
Mr Mann reiterated that this was “an unusual case” at the most recent calling of the case and spoke about his client’s “real difficulties” stating that media interest in the case had “led to an exacerbation of the problem”
Sheriff Sara Matheson then placed Anderson, of West Drive, Dingwall, on a community payback order with 18 months of supervision as a direct alternative to custody.
Following the sentencing, Mr Maguire’s daughter Gabrielle Maguire told The Press and Journal: “As a family we are saddened and disappointed with this outcome.
“Ms Anderson was in a position of trust in her role, which she abused greatly. Her job was to care for our dad during his final days, provide him with comfort, care and respect. Instead, Ms Anderson abused, threatened and tormented him, to what end we do not know.
“We cannot fathom why someone would want to hurt someone so confused and vulnerable.
“This outcome does not feel like justice for our dad. As a family, we feel let down by the justice system and do not feel the true impact on our dad, the care home or on us as a family has been understood.
“We hope the conclusion of these proceedings will allow us to move forward and for our dad to rest in peace.”
After the first calling of the case, Serena Fergusson, the manager of Fodderty House care home, said: “We were devastated for our resident and his family, because it happened, and it happened whilst in our care in our premises.
“Immediately it was brought to my attention the person concerned was suspended and consequentially dismissed. I alerted the Care Inspectorate and sought their guidance and support.
“I liaised with the family and we have dealt with this.”