THE trial has begun of two nurses, one from East Lancashire, who are accused of the manslaughter of an elderly nursing home resident.

Dennis Latham, 33, from Rishton, the former nursing services manager of Ballastowell Gardens nursing home in the Isle of Man, and his deputy at the time, Barbara Campbell, 62, from Glasgow, both deny unlawfully killing 77-year-old Marion Dennis in July 1999.

She was a resident at the home in Ramsey for the four and a half months leading up to her death at Noble's Hospital.

A post mortem examination gave the cause of death as renal failure and septicaemia from infected ulcers.

Prosecuting counsel, Michael Shorrocks QC said that Mrs Dennis had suffered from ulcers before she was admitted to the nursing home and required total nursing care.

He said a significant cause of her death was infected ulcers, adding: "Our case is that on admission to the nursing home there was an obvious and significant risk that, without proper nursing, Mrs Dennis would develop infected trophic ulcers - pressure sores.

"Over a period of time pressure sores on her buttocks developed and got worse and worse due to a failure to nurse, treat or address the problem.

"This amounted to a gross breach of the duty of care by those responsible for her care and safety.

"The two people who must bear the responsibility of this are the manager and assistant manager of the nursing home, that is, Dennis Latham and Barbara Campbell."

The trial heard that a nurse at the home, which is under new management, called a GP to see Mrs Dennis seven days before she died, who said she had never seen sores which had deteriorated to such an extent.

At Noble's Hospital, the ulcers were described as being the "size of a fist".

(Proceeding)