A care assistant who roughly treated and raged at elderly residents suffering from dementia has been jailed for nine months.

Sarah Gaskin “yanked” one 90-year-old woman out of her chair so violently she broke her collarbone.

She also left a 75-year-old man bruised from rough handling and a centenarian distressed and in tears from being shouted at.

The 38-year-old mother, of Eaton Place, Larkfield, Maidstone, wept as Judge Philip Statman told her: “The elderly demand and must receive dignity and respect.

“I well understand working as a carer is no easy task, especially when caring for those sadly suffering from dementia.

“Such members of the community require love, care and support, together with an interaction with others looking after them.

“Anyone with the responsibility of caring for elderly patients with dementia is in a position of the greatest trust.

“I regret to say offences of this kind well and truly pass the custody threshold. It is necessary for this court to lay down a marker in cases which involve the elderly and their care in a position of trust such as yours was to them.”

But the judge added he was keeping the sentence “at the lowest possible level”.

Gaskin admitted three offences of ill-treatment or neglect of a person who lacks capacity, the maximum sentence for which is five years imprisonment.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the offences were all committed on one day. The three victims have since died.

Gaskin had been working for a year in her first job as a carer at Hillbeck Residential Care Home in Roundwell, near Bearsted.

Prosecutor Dominic Benthall said Grace Simpson, 90, needed a high level of care. But on January 26 2014 Gaskin wrenched her out of her chair causing her to yell out and look shocked.

Susan Richardson, who was working with her, said: “Christ Sarah, what are you doing?” Gaskin then placed the resident in a wheelchair and pushed her with considerable force.

Ms Richardson confronted her afterwards telling her she could not work with her any more.

About eight days later another carer noticed a bruise on Mrs Simpson’s back.

She was taken to hospital and found to have a displaced fracture of the left clavicle.

“Anyone with the responsibility of caring for elderly patients with dementia is in a position of the greatest trust" - Judge Philip Statman

Gaskin had also repeatedly “barked” aggressively at John Kirby, 75, who had a spinal condition and was bent over from the waist and unsteady on his feet.

“She was in his face, telling him he was being silly and putting it on,” said Mr Benthall.

She did not support him properly and shoved him down onto a commode from a standing position. Afterwards, she pushed him into a wheelchair and was aggressive to him.

Gaskin asked Frances Simmons, who was 100, if she needed the toilet and then barked at her aggressively, telling her to stop messing around and to get up.

Mrs Simmons shouted back: “Go away. You are horrible.”

Craig Evans, defending, said at the time of the offences Gaskin’s marriage had ended and one of her three children had been diagnosed with autism.