Indian-origin care home owner gets jail term slashed

An Indian-origin care home owner in UK who was sentenced to 18 months in jail for mistreating the elderly has had her jail term slashed after complaining she is claustrophobic.
59-year-old Indranee Pumbien, who ran the Briarwood Rest Home in Preston, north-west England, was convicted of force-feeding elderly residents and failing to seek immediate help for a 99-year-old woman who was scalded in a hot bath.
A judge at a Court of Appeal hearing this week reduced her 18-month sentence to 12 months after her lawyers argued the effect on her financially justified a shorter term.
The court was told that Pumbien, who was a qualified nurse, suffered from depression and claustrophobia.

"Given she suffers from recurrent depression and is claustrophobic, it was not necessary for the sentence to be as long as it was," said Alistair Webster, Pumbien's barrister.
Justice Simler, sitting with Sir Brian Leveson and Justice Openshaw, allowed the appeal.

"Serious as this offending was, we have come to the conclusion that there is force in the grounds of appeal. She has poor mental health and her personal circumstances are difficult. We have concluded that 18 months in total was disproportionate to the offending in the whole," Justice Simler ruled.
Pumbien had been convicted at Preston Crown Court of three counts of ill-treatment and jailed for 18 months in August.

Her 62-year-old husband Meghadeven Pumbien and employee Niphawan Berry were also convicted of failing to get urgent medical care for an elderly woman after she suffered extensive burns to her legs and feet when she was scalded in a bath.
The care home was closed soon after the first allegations were made. The site is now under new ownership and has been renamed.