Woman charged with murdering man, 81, at care home

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/feb/12/woman-arrested-north-yorkshire-care-home-death

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A woman has been charged with murdering an 81-year-old man at a care home.

Heather Davidson, 53, is accused of killing the pensioner at the Sowerby House care home in Sowerby, North Yorkshire.

She will appear at Northallerton magistrates court on Friday.

Officers were called to the privately owned care home at around 3.20pm on Wednesday after the pensioner was found dead in his room.

A police spokeswoman said: “Following an early investigation and forensic assessment, it is suspected that the injuries suffered by the deceased are non-accidental.

“As a result, a woman in her 50s from Thirsk, who has no known connection to the care home, was arrested late on Wednesday evening on suspicion of murder.”

Senior investigating officer DS Dai Malyn said: “We ask that consideration is given to the residents and the families connected to the care home at this time.

“The home has not been closed; however, there are areas within the home which are still being examined. Specially trained police family liaison officers have been deployed to support the deceased’s family. At this moment we are not in a position to release the identity of the deceased.”

A spokeswoman for Orchard Care Homes said: “We can confirm that there was a death at the home on the afternoon of 11 February 2015. This is a police matter and we are co-operating fully with the police investigation.”

Mark Robson, 49, leader of Hambleton District Council and life-long Sowerby resident, said he could not remember anything similar happening in the village.

Robson, who lives 50 yards from the care home, said: “We have not experienced this sort of thing before and hopefully we won’t again. Our concerns have to be with his family but also our thoughts are with the staff and residents who must be going through an awful time.”