A healthcare support worker at Muckamore Abbey Hospital has received a suspended prison sentence after admitting to ill-treating a patient in 2017. Jenna Johnston, 41, of Durnish Road, Antrim, pleaded guilty to the offence at Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena.

District Judge Nigel Broderick described the hospital as having become a place of abuse rather than safety. Footage of the incident on May 13, 2017, showed Johnston and a male colleague dragging an 18-year-old patient along the floor of Cranfield Ward.

The victim had a learning disability and diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and OCD. He used Makaton rather than verbal speech. He was admitted to the ward on May 7, 2017, and the incident occurred around 9.30pm.

The court heard that the patient was pulled from a seat by a nurse and a male staff member. After the patient went to the floor, the male staff member began dragging him by his left arm. Johnston then took his right arm and helped escort him towards the bedroom corridor.

The patient resisted and kicked out at the male staff member before going to the floor again. The male employee appeared to lift the patient by his feet while still pulling him along the corridor. Johnston continued to hold the patient by his right arm as his left arm dragged along the floor. The two staff members then pulled him into his bedroom.

In a police interview in 2025, Johnston said she did not know the patient's medical conditions or care plan and had not been asked to read the documents. She described her actions as a reflex to help the patient get back on his feet and said she was not paying attention to her colleague. She said the focus was on moving the patient to his own space to decompress after he became aggressive.

A defence barrister said Johnston had an unblemished career and an excellent relationship with the patient. The incident was described as a one-off lasting 30 seconds in an extremely challenging ward. No injuries were sustained. Johnston apologised to the patient and his family and accepted the matter should have been handled better.

Judge Broderick said the ill-treatment of an extremely vulnerable patient was a serious matter. He said the footage showed the patient being dragged and manhandled across the floor in a wholly inappropriate way. A pre-sentence report indicated a low likelihood of reoffending and noted remorse.

The judge read a statement from the patient's mother describing the challenges her son faces and how the incident has affected his trust in care workers. The patient is now in a new healthcare setting.

Johnston has been suspended from her job by a health trust pending the outcome of the case. Judge Broderick anticipated she would lose her healthcare employment. He imposed a five-month prison term suspended for two years, citing her guilty plea, clear record, and expressions of remorse.

Several other Muckamore Abbey employees have appeared in court in recent years charged with a range of offences on various dates.