A “CRUEL” carer locked a man with learning difficulties in a car while she shopped with a co-worker in Clydebank.

The victim and another vulnerable adult were found so distressed they were “thrashing” in the back seat of the car as its windows steamed up.

Police called to the scene were forced to attempt breaking the front window with a baton to free the pair.

At Dumbarton Sheriff Court last Wednesday, Linda Kane was found guilty of wilfully neglecting the adult, who the Post will refer to as Mr B, on May 18, 2016, while co-accused Alba Mooney was also found guilty of the same treatment of Ms M, who was also in her care.

Kane, of Rampart Avenue, Knightswood, and Mooney, of Murroch Avenue in Dumbarton, denied leaving the adults – who both have learning difficulties – inside the car parked at Clyde Shopping Centre for around 45 minutes amounted to neglect, reports the Clydebank Post. 

The pair, who were employed by support service C-Change, claimed neither victim wished to enter the shops and it was “procedure” not to force them into an activity – but to lock the door ensuring they were unable to exit for their own safety.

Both women have since been disqualified from care for 10 years and are no longer with the company.

The court heard police officers were called to a report the two victims had been left inside the vehicle for up to 45 minutes and had become “distressed” at 5pm that day.

Constable Clare Curley told the court when they arrived the car’s windows had steamed up, the pair were “thrashing” around and making “groaning” like noises but were unresponsive when police attempted to question them.

Her partner, Constable John Miller, was using his baton in an attempt to smash the passenger seat window in order to free the pair when Kane and Mooney returned.

He told the court when he asked Mooney if it was “appropriate” to leave the victims in the car she responded with a shrug.

Constable Miller said: “It was the attitude, I couldn’t believe it. I think the words used were ‘what could possibly go wrong?’.”

Both Kane, 51, and Mooney, 60, claim Mr B and Ms M refused to get out of car and asked their carers to carry out shopping on their behalf while they listened to music inside the vehicle.

The carers said it would have caused more distress to go against the duo’s wishes and instead opted to make their purchases – zipped jackets for Ms M and a necklace and bracelet for Mr B.

But depute fiscal Martina McGuigan branded the purchases “unnecessary” and entered a heated exchange with Mooney over whether she should have allowed her client to stay in the car despite potential risks – such as being unable to escape in an emergency due to the child locks being activated.

Mooney argued Ms M could have opened the front doors despite being wheelchair bound.