Hillcroft home carers who abused dementia patients for fun Carol Ann Moore, Katie Cairns and Gemma Pearson mocked, bullied and assaulted eight residents because they would have no memory of the abuse Took place between May 2010 and September 2011 at privately-run Hillcroft home in Slyne-with-Hest, Lancashire Despite complaints from staff, abuse was covered up by managers and came to light only after whistleblowers contacted the Care Quality Commission Three carers have been found guilty of abusing vulnerable patients at a nursing home for "laughs." Carol Ann Moore, Katie Cairns and Gemma Pearson mocked, bullied and assaulted eight residents with severe dementia because they would have no memory of the abuse, which lasted 16 months. One man was slapped on the face and tipped out of his wheelchair, Preston Crown Court heard. Another had his foot stamped on while a third was humiliated by having his nipples twisted. Residents were also pelted with balls and beanbags. Guilty (from left to right): Gemma Pearson, 28, Katie Cairns, 27, and Carol Ann Moore, 54, mocked, bullied and assaulted eight residents with severe dementia because they would have no memory of the abuse The abuse took place at the privately run Hillcroft home in Slyne-with-Hest, Lancashire, between May 2010 and September 2011. Despite complaints from staff, the abuse was covered up by managers and came to light only after whistleblowers contacted the Care Quality Commission. The CQC informed the local authority's adult safeguarding team but it took five months for the complaints to be passed on to police, who immediately launched an investigation. The scandal comes just a year after the jailing of 11 carers who were secretly filmed abusing vulnerable adults at the notorious Winterbourne View home in Bristol. Hillcroft team leader Moore, 54, and nurses Cairns, 27, and Pearson, 28, had all denied the ill-treatment or neglect of residents. All three had worked on the day shift on the Coniston Unit at the home, which housed "vulnerable and challenging" patients. A fourth member of the team, Darren Smith, 35, of Lancaster, admitted abusing eight residents. Kathryn Johnson, prosecuting, said: "They mocked them, bullied them and on occasions deliberately assaulted them." She said bean bags were thrown so hard and fast at the residents that they were unable to catch them. Cleaner Lisa Bateman told the court she saw Moore slap resident Harry Bell across the face because "she wanted to get her own back" after his wife had complained about the lack of activities in the home. The abuse took place at the privately run Hillcroft home in Slyne-with-Hest, Lancashire, over 16 months Miss Bateman and laundry assistant Sharon Ormerod also saw Pearson tip Mr Bell out of his wheelchair when he failed to stand up, causing him to stumble. The court heard that Cairns stamped on resident Ken Heywood's foot and singled out another victim, Harry Pullar, by pulling the loose skin on his neck. Mr Pullar also suffered bruising around his nipples as if they had been twisted and Cairns was seen to flick them, the court heard. Moore, 53, of Lancaster, denied three counts of abusing residents under the Mental Capacity Act. "I've never abused a patient or a resident in my care and I never threw any balls at them," she told the court. She described herself as a "model carer." Cairns, of Morecambe, also denied three counts of abuse. She dismissed allegations she stamped on Mr Heywood and mocked Mr Pullar. Pearson, of Carnforth, denied one count of abuse, saying it would have been impossible for her to tip Mr Bell out of his wheelchair because he weighed 25 stone. They will be sentenced on January 10. Bosses at Lancashire County Council admitted there was a delay in reporting incidents of abuse at the care home to the police after they were alerted by the CQC. A spokesman said the council had improved its procedures following an internal review.