An Armagh nurse who photographed and videoed vulnerable dementia patients in order to publicly humiliate them has been spared prison.
Twenty-eight-year-old, Ciara Corvan first came to the attention of police in August 2023, when they received a report from the Southern Health & Social Care Trust in regards to adult safeguarding concerns raised involving a vulnerable patient group at Bluestone Hospital Dementia Unit, Craigavon.
The woman, from Cathedrals View in the city, was convicted of nine counts of ill-treating or wilfully neglecting three female and two male patients under her care between October 6, 2022 and August 8, 2023.
Corvan had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but was re-arriagned on May 14, entering a guilty plea.
This morning (July 27) in Craigavon Crown Court, Corvan was spared prison time – despite cases of humiliation carrying two years’ in custody, as His Honour Judge Paul Ramsey KC said she had “breached her position of trust”.
Appearing in the dock, Corvan had issued her defence counsel with a written a letter of apology to her victims’ families.
Counsel, Ms McEneaney said there had previously been some “insinuation of a degree of minimisation” by her client in regards to her offending but the letter sought to make clear she has the “deepest regret” for her actions and is “truly sorry”.
Said counsel: “She cannot expect or ask for forgiveness from the families and all she can hope for is that they see her sincerity.”
Judge Ramsey considered the letter before moving onto his sentencing remarks.
The court heard that Corvan had been employed as a Senior Nurse initially on a part-time basis as patients were moved from St Luke’s in Armagh to the Gillis Ward in Bluestone in 2023. She was then made full-time thereafter.
Outlining the details of Corvan’s humiliation of the five patients, Judge Ramsey said one female patient with advanced dementia and who had a “history with falls” had a photo taken of her in the bathtub which was sent to Corvan’s colleague via SnapChat.
It showed her face, neck, shoulders and armpits with the remainder of her body covered with bubbles.
Another colleague received a further SnapChat video showing the patient lying in bed, staring at the ceiling and playing with her hands. A caption read, “I’m totally freaked out right now.”
Of another female patient with advanced dementia and eyesight and mobility impairment, a video was sent via Snapchat of Corvan holding the patient’s arm and shaking it while music was playing in the background. The caption read: “Me and [patient’s name] are having a rave.”
This video was saved by the colleague and given to police.
In July 2023, a colleague received another video of Corvan and the patient from the waist up with their noses almost touching. This caption read, “Why the f**k is she so close to me?”
Of a male patient with advanced dementia, Corvan took a photo of two dementia dolls in bed with him with the caption, “Granda, tucked my brother and sister into bed.”
Another male patient diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia was photographed with approximately 16 “small black speckles” with the caption reading “blackheads out [patient’s name] neck”.
This patient’s wife recalled combing his hair at a later date and noticing the blackheads that he had had for years had all been removed.
Judge Ramsey said, “It can be inferred you removed the blackheads which were not part of [patient’s] care plan.”
When Corvan was initially interviewed she provided no comment. At a later interview she admitted caring for four victims and accepted recording the “rave” video and said she did not intentionally remove a patient’s blackheads and did not recall taking any further photos and video.
Judge Ramsey said in regards to culpability, “You Ms Corvan, in my view, are in a position of trust. You were employed to provide care for most vulnerable members of our society.
“It is a hard enough decision for a family to make to place a loved one in a care setting. Particularly when that loved one is as vulnerable as the victims in this case. The very least families, in my view, can expect is that they can entrust the care for their loved ones and that they are treated with respect and dignity.
“You Ms Corvan, failed to do that. Your offending on this occasion was not restricted to one individual, but to a number of individuals and involved the degrading and humiliation of those who were completely helpless to defend themselves.”
Four of Corvan’s victims have since passed away since the commission of her offences.
Summarising the victim impact statements received, Judge Ramsey said one of the patient’s family members actually “thanked” Corvan for her care “countless times”. However, upon reflection, noted that the patient “tried to tell her something was wrong saying more than once ‘help me’.”
Others expressed their “shock”, “upset” and how the incident has “damaged our faith in the care system”.
One person said Corvan’s actions had “amplified their grief” and made the “grieving process even more painful”.
Family members continue to struggle with the knowledge of Corvan’s actions, with one describing the incidents as “inexplicably cruel”.
Discussing a pre-sentence report prepared by probation services on Corvan’s behalf, Judge Ramsey said it was noted that Corvan attempted to “minimise” the potential impact of her actions on patients and their families and expressed that she did not have the “intention of causing fear or harm”.
It also revealed Corvan initially presented as “aggrieved” that her colleagues did not come to her directly and instead took their concerns to senior management.
However, Judge Ramsey said: “In my view both should be commended.”
Despite the offending carrying a possible prison term of two years, the judge indicated he did not regard Corvan as displaying a likelihood of reoffending and noted that her offences did not include physical harm.
Corvan was asked for her consent to a Combination Order being prepared, to which she agreed.
Judge Ramsey ordered Corvan to submit to a two-year Probation Order and complete 100 hours’ of Community Service.
This prosecution is the first of its kind for Northern Ireland, in terms of the ill treatment of patients via degrading photography/videos.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland are using this sentencing as an example for people in positions of trust working with vulnerable people to be deterred from ever taking advantage of someone in their care in this way.
Police reaction:
In August 2023 Police received a referral from the Southern Health & Social Care Trust in regards to adult safeguarding concerns raised involving a vulnerable patient group at Bluestone Hospital Dementia Unit, Craigavon. Health Care Assistant Ciara Corvan was reported to photograph and record vulnerable patients on her mobile phone who depended on her care, sometimes posting these videos and photos via a social media messaging app with degrading commentary.
A joint protocol adult safeguarding investigation was then commenced into ill treatment of patients commenced by specially trained Detectives from PSNI Public Protection Branch and Social Workers from the Southern Health & Social Care Trust.
Police seized Corvan’s mobile phone for forensic examination and discovered additional victims. All victims lacked the capacity to consent to any photographs that were taken and Corvan had been trusted by both her employer and the family of those concerned to not only care for them but to treat them with dignity and respect.
This prosecution will be the first of its kind for Northern Ireland, in terms of the ill treatment of patients via degrading photography/videos/commentary. The Police Service of Northern Ireland are using this sentencing as an example for people in positions of trust working with vulnerable people to be deterred from ever taking advantage of someone in their care in this way. It is criminal behaviour.
Detective Chief Inspector Claire McDonald said: “The victims in this case are some of the most vulnerable in our society and were always at the centre of this investigation. They and their family’s depended on former Health Care Assistant Ciara Corvan to take care of them and they trusted that she maintained their health and their dignity as part of her care role. She did not.
“The victims were subjected to degrading and mocking behaviour. Corvan took photographs and video recorded her victims on her mobile phone and then shared the imaging with degrading comments via a social media messaging app.
“Corvan exploited their vulnerabilities, specifically their lack of capacity and communication for her own entertainment. Today her actions are proven criminal, in the first case of its kind for Northern Ireland.
“Vulnerable adults in need of protection are supported in a manner which upholds their rights, in particular their right to equal access to the criminal justice system and to prevent further abuse through a collaborative multi-agency partnership.
“This partnership consisted of ourselves, a Designated Adult Protection Officer, The Adult Protection Gateway Team, The Southern Health & Social Care Trust and the Public Prosecution Service. Together we were able to stop Corvan’s course of conduct and brought her to justice.
“I want to thank the families for their unwavering support and patience during this complex investigation and for being their loved ones voice throughout the safeguarding and criminal justice process.”
Speaking out today the families of the victims have released a collective statement, saying: “We are grateful to the police and prosecution for their thorough work in bringing this case to justice.
“Our relatives were private, kind individuals who could not speak for themselves in their final years, and what was done to them was a gross violation of their basic human rights.
“While no sentence can undo the harm, we are grateful for the acknowledgement that this type of behaviour is indeed criminal conduct and that justice can be served against those who mock and torment the vulnerable.
“Every caregiver must be held to the highest standard of trust.
“She (Corvan) sought entertainment in humiliating those who were being tormented every day through the slow and cruel loss of their ability to do even the most basic personal tasks.
“At a point when our loved ones depended on her to support them in making it through their final days, she not only chose to mock and degrade them but then distributed it through social media.
“She took advantage of the fact that our family members were suffering from a disease that meant they could not even communicate what they had endured. We now live every day with the thoughts that our loved ones had no way of saying or showing how much of the fear or the pain that she caused lingered with them until their final days.
“We are saddened by the seemingly lack of morals in this social media generation and hope that this sentencing today makes people stop and think about their conduct online and how they treat people.
“It has been shown today that this is criminal behaviour. If you are in a position of trust and care and not taking that position seriously, heed this warning. Please stop and think – if that was your mother or father, how would you want them to be treated?”
