A judge has questioned today whether it is in the public interest to proceed with a charge against a Cinderford woman accused of ill treating an autistic man.
Catherine Jones, 54, of High Street, Cinderford, in the Forest of Dean, who cares for autistic people, is said to have "pulled the hair" of her alleged victim "backwards and forwards".
At an earlier hearing she had faced charges of assault, fraud and neglect but today prosecutor Julian Kesner told Gloucester crown court there was now just one charge of ill treatment.
He said that at the last hearing the judge had questioned whether the case could be dealt with in some other way to avoid a trial. But Mrs Jones was not prepared to accept a police caution so the there would still have to be a trial, he said.
When Mrs Jones stepped into the dock at the start of today's hearing she looked distressed, but Judge Jamie Tabor QC told her: "Don't cry Mrs Jones. Don't cry. Be brave. Nobody is going to be nasty to you."
After being told there will have to be a trial, the judge said: "She is someone of good character who was doing an extremely difficult job."
The trial would take no more than a day or a day and a half, he said.
He bailed her for trial on June 1.
