Man jailed for attacking disabled man in his care

A FORMER soldier who was filmed attacking a disabled man in his care was jailed yesterday for eight months.

Wayne Parker, 37, laughed as he subjected Gareth Gunner to an ordeal which left the autistic 22-year-old screaming in terror.

Neighbours watched Parker, who worked as a carer at the Newbus Grange residential care home near Neesham in County Durham, strike Mr Gunner about the face and head with a series of open handed karate chop style blows as the pair exercised on an outdoor trampoline.

Parker then shoved Mr Gunner, who the court heard was severely disabled and had a vocabulary of just a few words, into the centre of the trampoline and ordered him to bounce.

Judge Tony Briggs watched a video of the incident filmed by a concerned neighbour who was alerted by Mr Gunner’s cries.

Teesside Crown Court heard Stephen Gray grabbed his camera after watching Parker taunting Mr Gunner in August last year.