A carer has been convicted of racially and physically abusing a 92-year-old dementia patient as he lay helpless.

Christine King, previously Swaby, was caring for Heinrick Wolfgang Schulze at Grace Manor Care Centre when the incident occurred last February.

On Monday, the 52-year-old care assistant, of Ashbee Close, Snodland, stood trial at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court accused of ill-treating a person without mental capacity.

The court heard King was being shadowed by Susan White – who had started working at the 46-patient Gillingham home three days previously – when the pair visited Mr Schulze who needed changing.

Mrs White observed as King, a popular employee, went about the procedure in a “rough and undignified” manner, pushing his legs back over his head and exposing his genitals.

Her actions were compared to changing a baby and differed starkly from the accepted method of turning the patient on their side.

Giving evidence, Mrs White told magistrates 6ft 3in Mr Schulze was extremely distressed and grabbed hold of his rail, prompting King to slap his hand, swear at him and call him an “ugly German”.

She then turned to Mrs White and asked: “Don’t you think he’s an ugly German?”

The court was told Mr Schulze – who died two months after the incident – could communicate only on a basic level and had an expression of terror on his face as King assaulted him.

A tearful Mrs White said she was initially concerned about reporting the incident due to her position but the following week did tell a manager.

But Gethin Payne, defending, suggested Mrs White had invented the story because she didn’t like King and was jealous of her popularity.

King had been working at the home for only six weeks but had trained nine people in that time and has no previous convictions.

Following an hour of deliberation, magistrates returned a guilty verdict and, due to the severity of the offence, adjourned the case for sentence at Maidstone Crown Court on a date to be decided.

King, who has been a carer for six years and has previously worked at Birling House and Pilgrims View in Snodland and Betsy Clara in Maidstone, was released on unconditional bail.