An agency carer at a Suffolk nursing home ill treated a 102-year-old dementia sufferer who was screaming by grabbing her mouth and shaking her head “vigorously”, it has been alleged.

Kristiyan Krumov, who was working a night shift at Stowlangtoft Hall nursing home, had also tried to pull the woman up from a reclining position in her chair by grabbing her by her forearms, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

Laura Kenyon, prosecuting, said that a care worker who was working with Krumov had told him that his behaviour was unacceptable and had reported what happened to other members of staff and the care home manager.

When Krumov, who is a Bulgarian national, was interviewed about the allegations he denied ill treating the woman.

He said other care staff at the home looked down on him and he claimed the allegations were the result of discrimination.

He denied grabbing the woman’s mouth and shaking her head roughly and claimed he had tried to quieten her by putting his finger in front of his mouth and saying: “Shhh”.

He denied the other care worker had confronted him about his behaviour and accepted that if he had acted in the way alleged it would have amounted to ill treatment.

Krumov, 31, of New Street, Mildenhall, has denied ill treating a person who lacked capacity on April 13 2018.

Miss Kenyon told the court that the alleged victim suffered from dementia and had limited mobility, was unable to make decisions and could be disruptive.

On the night in question at about 2am she had started screaming loudly and disrupting other residents of the home.

She was sitting in a recliner chair and Krumov and the other care worker had started to move her to her bed in a bid to try and settle her, said Miss Kenyon.

She had continued to scream loudly and at that point the defendant had allegedly grabbed her round the mouth and shaken her head “vigorously”.

“His colleague told him to stop and said it was unacceptable behaviour,” said Miss Kenyon.

She said that as a result of what Krumov allegedly did the woman had ended up lying down in the chair and Krumov had then allegedly grabbed her by her forearms to pull her back up.

The trial continues.