A deeply disturbing case of elder abuse has come to light as CCTV footage revealed a Nigerian caregiver, Bilikesu Olagunju, violently mishandling an 88-year-old dementia patient, John Attard, during what would be one of his final days alive.
The footage, recorded on Christmas Eve 2022, by the victim’s son, Chris Attard, showed Olagunju—who had only been on the job for six days—physically and verbally abusing the frail pensioner in his home in Bexley, Kent.
According to evidence presented at Woolwich Crown Court, Olagunju, then employed by Unique Personnel UK, was meant to help Mr. Attard with his morning routine, including washing and making breakfast. Instead, the visit turned into a traumatic ordeal.
The footage showed her stripping him in front of a street-facing window, dragging him across the floor by his collar and arm, and threatening him repeatedly.
At various moments, she was heard saying:
“Maybe I will beat you up. I will flog you. I will take you to the GP for injections. I’ll call the police on you.”
Despite the elderly man pleading, “You are hurting me,” Olagunju persisted. She ignored her employer’s instruction to call an ambulance after informing them that Mr. Attard had fallen. Instead, she forcibly lifted him herself, complaining that a male worker should have been assigned.
Shockingly, she also taunted him with threats, poured marmalade into his coffee despite knowing he was diabetic, and continued to mishandle him with visible aggression. Mr. Attard can be heard saying, “My head is banging,” while enduring the abuse.
The next morning, on Christmas Day, Chris Attard discovered his father unresponsive, with blood trickling down the side of his face. He was rushed to the hospital, where he remained unconscious until his death ten days later. Though the autopsy could not directly link Olagunju’s actions to his death, it revealed bruising on the left side of his chest, raising grave concerns.
In court, Olagunju pleaded guilty to one count of willful neglect or ill-treatment of a person under her care. She received a six-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to perform 50 hours of unpaid work.
Reacting to the sentence, Chris Attard described the punishment as a “disgraceful insult”, stating: “If those cameras hadn’t been there, she could still be out there abusing other vulnerable people. I expected a suspended sentence, but the length and community service aspect is shameful. What kind of deterrent is that?”
Chris broke down in court as he shared his victim impact statement, lamenting that his father—who had five children, eleven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren—had been “kind-hearted, generous, compassionate, and funny”, and had still been finding joy in life before the abuse.
He directly addressed Olagunju, saying: “An autopsy may not have linked your actions to his death, but I believe you contributed to his sudden decline.”
Prosecutor James Benson condemned her behavior as a combination of “rough handling, verbal aggression, and degrading treatment,” adding that she had “preyed on a vulnerable man with no compassion.”
This tragic case has sparked renewed calls for stricter oversight and tougher penalties in the caregiving sector, especially for those responsible for the most vulnerable members of society.
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