Private care home workers jailed

The 11 Winterbourne View staff, including nine support workers and two nurses, were sentenced at Bristol Crown Court.

Some of them were captured by undercover BBC journalist Joseph Carey slapping residents, soaking them in water, trapping them under chairs, pulling their hair and poking their eyes.

Whistleblower Terry Bryan, a former nurse at the home in Hambrook, south Gloucestershire, went to the BBC with his concerns after his complaints to private owner Castlebeck and care watchdogs were ignored.

The footage, recorded during a five-week investigation in February and March last year, has led to the imprisonment of "ringleader" Wayne Rogers, 32, for two years; Alison Dove, 25, and Graham Doyle, 26, each for 20 months; Holly Draper, 24, for 12 months and Sookalingum Appo, 59, and Kelvin Fore, 33, for six months each.

The remaining five, Jason Gardiner, 43, Michael Ezenagu, 29, Danny Brake, 27, Charlotte Cotterell, 22, and Neil Ferguson, 28, were handed suspended sentences.

Prosecutor Kerry Barker said the five residents Simone Blake, Simon Tovey, Louise Bissett, Louisa Deville and Lorraine Guildford suffered at the hands of the defendants greatly.

Among the footage played to the court during sentencing heard support worker Mr Rogers telling Ms Blake: "Do you want me to get a cheese grater and grate your face off?

"Do you want me to turn you into a giant pepperoni?"

A serious case review published in August criticised Darlington-based Castlebeck Ltd for putting profits before humanity.