‘I could have hit the old woman repeatedly if I had wanted too’ says cruel nurse

A nurse accused of slapping an 87-year-old woman patient in the face during a karate chopping play fight said: ‘If I was angry with her I could have repeatedly hit her.’

Balasajeev Kumar left the dementia sufferer with a black eye at Connolly House Independent Mental Health Hospital, Weeley, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.

He was pretending to have a karate fight with a colleague when the woman, who had been the victim of domestic abuse, believed the fight was real.

The lady, referred to a Resident A, hit Kumar on the back of the neck, he turned, paused, looked at her and then backhanded her in the face, the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard.

Kumar told the hearing: ‘It was a reflex action.

‘If you stand on a nail you jump up, that is what happened to me.

‘I didn’t see it was a resident, I just reacted.

‘It did not register in my mind and it was not until after that I realised it was a resident.’

He claimed he was not conscious of what was happening.

Kumar had told the police it was one swift motion and an accident, the hearing was told.

He also told an internal disciplinary hearing that he had not been karate fighting with a colleague.

Kumar was then shown CCTV footage that showed him play fighting, being hit on the neck by Resident A, turning and looking at her in the eye for two seconds before slapping her across the face.

Bo Kay Fung, for the NMC, asked Kumar why he lied to the police, why he had lied to an internal disciplinary meeting and why he was lying now.

She reminded Kumar that he had taken an oath to tell the truth and asked him if the CCTV shows him looking at the woman and pausing before the strike.

Kumar maintained it wasn’t intentional.

‘If I was angry with her I could have repeatedly hit her,’ said Kumar.

He said that he instantly checked the lady to see if she was okay.

But the CCTV showed in the hearing shows Kumar gesturing towards the old lady and holding his neck and remonstrating with her.

Ms Fung asked Kumar why he had lied about checking the resident and being involved in the karate play fight to an internal disciplinary meeting.

‘It was a mistake by the note taker, I didn’t say that,’ said Kumar.

Following the incident Kumar was heard to say: ‘You can make a complaint if you want,’ and go out for a cigarette, the hearing was told.

Kumar said he did not view the CCTV at an early stage in the investigation as it was ‘too stressful for me.’

He added: ‘Resident A is demented.

‘I know that if she had consciousness how badly she will feel.

‘Even though she had no consciousness as she was demented.

‘I was so sad to tell her she had hit me on the back and that I didn’t know it was her.

‘I am still sorry about it.’

The elderly lady suffered a black eye and swelling to the face, the hearing was told.

Kumar was convicted of common assault at Colchester Magistrates Court on January 26, 2016.

He was given 150 hours unpaid work, had to pay £150 compensation and £60 victim surcharge.

The charge against Kumar, who is present at the hearing, was admitted and found proved by reason of his conviction.

But he denies that his current fitness to practice is impaired.