A VULNERABLE patient at Calderstones was spat on and had her hair pulled by a member of staff.

Blackburn magistrates heard the 22-year-old victim was severely mentally retarded and suffered from Aspergers Syndrome and was bipolar.

And at the time of the assault she voluntarily got on the floor to be restrained by two members of staff.

The other member of staff said Ian James Pilkington’s actions towards the patient were totally unnecessary and against guidelines.

Pilkington, 34, of Burton Street, Rishton, was convicted after trial of assault. He was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison suspended for two years, made subject to community supervision for two years and ordered to pay £200 compensation to his victim.

Charlotte Crane, prosecuting, said the victim had spent the majority of her life in care institutions and had been resident at Calderstones since 2011.

She regularly lashed out and attempted to bite staff and banged her head against the wall. She was living in her own flat but closely monitored.

On the day of the incident she was being cared for by Lindsey Bolton who saw a change in her attitude and realised something was going to happen.

She called for assistance and Pilkington came in from the next flat.

Miss Bolton told the court the patient had taken herself to the floor after being told she would be restrained and she and Pilkington were kneeling either side of her.

She described how the patient made a move towards her and then said something to Pilkington and tried to spit at him.

In response he spat in her face and started calling her names. He then grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head back.

Miss Crane said it was a ‘particularly nasty and uncalled for incident’.

“The case is presented on the basis that he came to the end of his tether,” said Miss Crane.

Patrick Williamson, defending, said there had been no previous incidents between Pilkington and the woman.

“The victim would try the patience of any normal person but he has dealt with a large number of previous incidents in a professional manner,” said Mr Williamson.

“He is not a man who did not enjoy his job and took that out on patients.”

He said Pilkington had lost his job and would almost certainly be put on the barred list prohibiting him from working with vulnerable adults or children.