A CARE worker hit an elderly resident over the head with her shoe and assaulted three others, a court heard.

Belinda Bose Ibizugbe, 53, was charged with five counts of common assault and one count of causing actual bodily harm (ABH) after complaints from residents at Blenheim Care Home, in Ickenham Road, Ruislip.

At the opening of the trial at Harrow Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday), the jury heard how she was seen assaulting the residents by other care workers at the home.

Matthew Butt, prosecuting, said: "This case concerns a number of alleged assaults by this defendant primarily in 2008, but the first one was in 2007.

"At the time the defendant was working in the EMI residential unit at the home.

"There are four alleged victims in this case and they are all residents of the home. This defendant was supposed to be caring for them.

"The complainants are all elderly, they are too physically or mentally frail to give evidence and all suffer from dementia.

"The witness who saw the first assault said that on the day of the alleged offence she heard Ivy Manders (the victim) shouting 'help, help' so she went to see what was happening.

"When she got there she saw the defendant pushing Mrs Manders and trying to force her into a bathroom.

"She saw her take off her shoe and hit the victim over the head with it.

"When the witness was leaving that day the defendant approached her and said there was a problem.

"She said Mrs Manders had a swollen head where she had hit her."

At the time of the offence Mrs Manders was 81 years old.

The other alleged offences all took place last year and concerned three other residents aged 72, 75, and 85.

These offences included grabbing, dragging and pushing victims and hitting one on the head with her fist.

Ibizugbe, who is from Nigeria and lives in Knowles Close, West Drayton, denied all the charges and claims the other care workers are lying due to a conspiracy against her at the home.

The trial is expected to end on Friday.