A live-in carer is facing a jail sentence after she pleaded guilty to a violent attack on a bed-ridden 89-year-old in her own home. Pavla Dolanska pleaded guilty to a Section 20 charge that she unlawfully and maliciously inflicted grievous bodily harm on Doris Radford in her home in Horfield.
The mother and grandmother, who was bed-ridden, paralysed and suffered from dementia, had round the clock professional care at her home, with Dolanska, 36, employed as the live-in overnight carer. Mrs Radford, whose family were at court to hear the guilty plea, was taken to hospital after the attack, and never returned home - she died 17 days later, just short of her 90th birthday.
At a brief hearing at Bristol Magistrates' Court yesterday (Tuesday, October 25), Dolanska confirmed her age, her address as one in Manchester, and answered ‘guilty’ to the single charge that on April 18, 2021 she inflicted GBH on Mrs Radford at her home in Filton Avenue.
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Prosecuting, Stephen Sadler told the court that Dolanska was the live-in carer for Mrs Radford and in the early hours of that morning, assaulted her, causing her ‘significant facial injuries’, with ‘bruising and lacerations’. He told the court that Dolanska made admissions at the scene to police officers, and again in a ‘significant interview under caution’.
The court heard the carer, who has a son back in her native Czechia, had no previous convictions, and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. Hearing the case, Judge Joanna Dickens, said she had a report which stated that the coroner’s inquest into Mrs Radford’s death found no causal link between her injuries from the attack and her death 17 days later.
Judge Dickens decided that the crime was too serious to be dealt with at a magistrates court, where the sentencing powers reach a maximum of six months in prison, so sent the case to Bristol Crown Court for Dolanska to be sentenced, and requested the compiling of a probation report.
Outside the court, Mrs Radford’s family spoke of their upset at the case. “My mum had dementia, she was paralysed, she was bed-ridden,” said her son, Joseph Milton.
“She had two sons and a step-daughter, and she was a beautiful person, she was genuinely lovely and always tried to help everyone else. She worked at Rolls Royce and BOAC for many years.
“She went into hospital with her injuries from the attack and never came out again. I am still distraught at what happened,” he added.
Mrs Radford’s sister Daphne Bassett said the whole family wanted justice for her. “She was one of the team of carers, she would stay overnight and looks after my sister,” she said of Dolanska.
“We realise that no sentence will be enough, but as long as she gets justice for Joe’s mother, for me as her sister,” she added. “Before she became ill, she was a very active person, very funny, and a real family person,” she said.
Dolanska was remanded on bail to return to Bristol Crown Court on November 22 for sentencing.
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