A CARE home nurse is facing charges she placed a banana next to a female resident's genitals and said: "They are there for you if you get lonely through the night."

Clarissa Bartolome is also accused of assaulting the woman and throwing Jelly Babies at her.

The incidents are said to have happened while Ms Bartolome was employed at Crimond House Care Home in Aberdeenshire.

The private home, run by Meallmore Ltd, cares for frail elderly residents including those suffering from dementia and learning disabilities.

The nurse was charged by the police with both assault and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and was dismissed by the home.

A previous investigation found that the allegations arose directly from the resident who was found to have bruising on her arm consistent with her complaint.

One charge states that the nurse, 'placed a banana/s in Resident A’s bed in the region of her genitals and said they are there for you if you get lonely through the night."

Another states she "threw sweet and/or Jelly Babies at Resident A."

Ms Bartolome is also accused of assaulting the woman by grabbing her arm and/or shaking her on July 14-15 2013.

She is facing three charges of misconduct and faces the ultimate sanction of being struck off when she appears before the Nursing and Midwifery Council next month.

Ms Bartolome failed to appear at the first hearing on October 14 2013 and refuted the allegations.

However, an interim suspension of 18 months was imposed "for the protection of the public."

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