A NURSE who walked free from court after being accused of frog-marching an 84-year-old dementia patient down a corridor now faces a probe by nursing watchdogs.
Jason Seats, who worked at Kinnaird Manor care home in Falkirk had a charge of assaulting the man found not proven by a sheriff earlier this month.
The 36-year-old spoke at the time about how he could now “move on with his life” after a sheriff ruled there were too many inconsistencies in the evidence against him.
But Mr Seats now faces an investigation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), which has suspended the father-of-two for 18 months.
The alleged assault was said to have happened in March last year, and he was later suspended and dismissed by the care home, which cares for patients suffering from dementia.
Debbie Young, 39, a trainee nurse at the care home at the time, told Falkirk Sheriff Court: “I saw the patient, David Taylor, getting frog-marched up the corridor to his room.
“I was shocked at what I had seen.
“He was getting taken that fast by Jason Seats that his feet could barely keep up with his body.”
Though after hearing evidence from a senior carer at the home who said she “never saw” the incident, Sheriff William Gallacher said there were “too many inconsistencies” in the evidence.
Glad
He criticised solicitors for the 20-month wait before the case came to trial, saying it “impaired” witnesses’ ability to give evidence.
Mr Seats said outside court: “I am so glad it is over. It is a massive relief that I will not have this hanging over me any longer.
“I may go back to nursing, but I will take some time to think about that now without having to worry about this.
“It has been a cloud over me for a very long time now.”
But an Investigation Committee Panel of the NMC, which met on 9 November, decided to carry out its own inquiry into the nurse.
A report of the meeting, published on the NMC website, said there were also allegations that Mr Seats failed to “escalate” concerns that other members of staff were abusing residents.
