A former carer who assaulted and mocked a dementia patient in a video taken at a Fife care facility has been electronically tagged after failing to complete his community service.
Liam Stark laughed as he filmed the elderly woman in her underpants and t-shirt and chanted the song “Donald, where’s your troosers”.
During the July 2022 assault at Benore Care Centre, Lochore, he repeatedly hurt his victim by flicking her nipples with his finger over her t-shirt and claimed to other staff he was “having a laugh”.
He later showed his sick video to shocked colleagues, who reported him.
Stark, formerly of Cook Square in Lochgelly but now living in Glenrothes, was originally sentenced to 300 hours of unpaid work – the maximum available – about a year ago as a direct alternative to custody for what the sheriff branded a “disgusting offence”.
He was also given a year of offender supervision and ordered to engage with drug and alcohol counselling.
At the time, the victim’s son slammed the sentence, suggesting Stark should have been jailed.
At a review in July last year, the court heard he had done only 51 hours of work and the sheriff temporarily revoked the order to give Stark time to “address his difficulties,” with a view to re-imposing the punishment later.
Sentencing
Last week, 23-year-old Stark reappeared in the Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court dock again.
Solicitor David Cranston said an update in October was “satisfactory” but social workers were hesitant to recommend a community-based disposal and a further report was done.
The solicitor said Stark’s work with agencies has been positive and suggested, in terms of punishment, a restriction of liberty order or reinstating unpaid work hours.
Mr Cranston said Stark has not come to the attention of the courts again “as far as I am aware”.
Sentencing, Sheriff Charles Lugton revoked the previous community payback order and substituted it with an 11-month restriction of liberty order as a “direct alternative to custody”.
Stark, who was a senior carer at the time of offending but is now barred from working in the care sector, must stay at home between 7pm and 7am daily for the 11-month period and will have to wear an electronic monitoring device.
Ketamine crash
After Stark’s appalling video came to light, he was formally suspended and an internal investigation carried out.
He had denied the allegation made by staff but handed in his resignation.
The complainer’s son was told and he contacted police.
At the original sentencing last year, defence lawyer Aime Allan said Stark’s mental health was on a “downward spiral”, compounded by the death of both his grandparents and two friends in quick succession, between 2019 and 2021.
Although Stark was then referred to in court as a first offender, he was previously fined after admitting driving when unfit to do so through drink or drugs on the B914 road on September 19 2021.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard he had been snorting ketamine just before crashing his car, not far from Knockhill race track.
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