Blackburn care worker jailed over patient sexual abuse

David Shorrock, 53, was convicted by a jury in January of having committed the offence while working at a home in Great Harwood.

Shorrock, of Ballantrae Road, Blackburn, denied the offence throughout the trial and Judge Richard Gioserano said the pre-sentence report claimed Shorrock was "peddling the same story you told the jury, the same lies they rejected".

David Shorrock (Image: Lancashire Police) Francis McEntee, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, said Shorrock had been "disturbed" by one of his colleagues while he was engaging in sexual activity with the patient.

He was briefly caught on camera lying between the patient's legs with his trousers undone.

Shorrock was regularly in charge of that patient's cleaning regime so did not "engineer" the offence in that sense, with Mr McEntee suggesting it was more "opportunistic."

Preston Crown Court (Image: Anthony Moss)

Richard English, mitigating, argued against sending Shorrock to prison with an immediate custodial sentence, saying he had not previously been convicted of any sexual offences and had not troubled the courts with any matter since 2009.

Judge Gioserano found that not only was there a breach of trust between Shorrock and the defendant, but that the breach was "gross."

He said: "Not only were you involved in her case, you were actually regularly responsible for the most intimate aspects of her care.

"You would regularly be alone with her in her room conducting her daily cleaning regime."

The judge also said that Shorrock must have known about the patient's difficulties and vulnerabilities.

He said that Shorrock "must have thought there was very little chance of ever being caught".

The judge continued: "You were at this home for many years and there was no cause for concern.

"For some inexplicable reason, you have had a spectacular fall from grace. What possessed you to do this is beyond me. I simply cannot understand it."

Shorrock was sentenced to nine months in prison and was made subject to sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.

DC Liam Jarman, of the East Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) Investigation Team, said: “Shorrock abused his trusted position in the most serious and despicable way for his own perverted sexual interests.

“He targeted a woman who he knew was vulnerable and would not be able to defend herself against his offending. Thankfully he was interrupted by a colleague who quickly raised the alarm.”