The prosecution has closed its case in the trial of nine former members of staff a specialist care unit accused of abusing vulnerable patients.

Six men and three women, who worked at Whorlton Hall, near Barnard Castle, were caught on camera allegedly abusing their positions when an undercover BBC reporter secured a job at the unit.

The footage was used in a Panorama documentary exposing the alleged psychological abuse of vulnerable patients with learning disabilities or autism.

On Monday (March 27), the first of the defendants is expected to start giving their evidence in the trial at Teesside Crown Court.

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Jurors have heard how several vulnerable patients were targeted by the accused and they were tormented or verbally abused.

The defendants face a total of 27 offences after the reporter used a hidden camera at the 17-bed independent unit for people with complex needs in January and February 2019.

Detective Constable Alex Simms, who works in the major crime team for Durham Constabulary, spent two days giving evidence by reading through police interviews of the defendants.

Undercover reporter Olivia Davies had told jurors that it was difficult to learn all of the patients’ notes and conceded Whorlton Hall was a difficult place to work.

However, she recorded more than 200 hours of covert footage showing the accused staff tormenting and aggravating some of the patients.

One defendant said on camera he had invented an imaginary “man button” to summon male staff for a female patient who had clearly said she did not want men to look after her.

The Northern Echo: Whorlton HallWhorlton Hall

The case follows a long-running investigation by Durham police, Operation Sarto, after allegations of the abuse of patients was reported in a BBC Panorama documentary in 2019.

The facility, which has since closed, was privately-run but funded by the NHS.

The accused are: • John Sanderson, 25, of Cambridge Avenue, Willington, faces two charges of care worker ill-treatment or wilful neglect of an individual on February 2 and 25, 2019.

• Darren Mark Lawton, 47, of Miners Crescent, Darlington, by virtue of being a care worker, allegedly ill-treated or wilfully neglected a patient on January 27, 2019, and faces the same charge relating to a different patient on February 2.

• Niall Mellor, 26, of Lingmell Dene, Coundon, Bishop Auckland, is accused of the ill-treatment or wilful neglect of a patient on two occasions on January 20 and 24, 2019.

• Sarah Banner, 33, from Faulkner Road, Newton Aycliffe, stands accused of three charges of ill-treatment or neglect of a female in her care on January 24 and of a male patient the following day.

• Matthew Banner, 43, of the same Newton Aycliffe address, faced six charges all relating to the same patient at Whorlton Hall on separate occasions between January 6 and February 22.

• Ryan Fuller, 27, from of Deerbolt Bank, Barnard Castle, faced ten charges of ill-treatment or wilful neglect against six different patients January 19 and February 2.

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• Sabah Mahmood, 27, of Woodland Crescent, Kelloe, is accused of, by virtue of being a care worker, ill-treating or wilfully neglecting a male patient on January 4, 2019.

• Peter Bennett, 53, of Redworth Road, Billingham, faced three charges in total relating to two female patients, on January 6 and February 24.

• Karen McGhee, 54, from Wildair Close, Darlington, faced a total of four charges relating to a male and a female patient which were all said to have happened in January 2019.

All of the defendants deny the charges and the trial continues.