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| An 83-year-old man was arrested and locked up for seven hours for giving his wife medication at a care home |
An 83-year-old man was arrested and locked up for seven hours for giving his wife medication at a care home.
Police were called when Walter Crompton, from Blackley , Manchester, went to visit his wife of 60 years Eileen on Sunday.
Staff at the nearby Allendale Care Home contacted officers four days earlier after Walter gave Eileen a ‘painkiller patch’ which contains morphine.
He has been bailed - but his bail conditions BAN him from seeing his wife until the end of the month, according to a report in the Manchester Evening News
Walter was arrested for administering a toxic substance when the care home discovered the pain relief patches contained morphine. He said the patches have been prescribed by a doctor.
Walter said: “It’s a patch. Nobody ever killed anybody with a patch.
“I don’t understand why they needed to arrest me. I was just trying to help my wife and I didn’t know it was against the rules.”
Walter claims the care home never told him the pain relief patches were banned, just that Eileen’s codeine prescription were not allowed on the premises.
Former machinist Eileen, also 83, moved into the care home on Polefield Road, two weeks ago after a number of falls at home. She has dementia, heart problems and chronic arthritis which her doctor had prescribed codeine for.
Walter has been Eileen’s only carer for the past two years when she became seriously ill.
His bail conditions stop him from contacting Eileen or the care home until the end of April.
Granddad Walter, who used to work at British Aerospace, added: “We’ve spent 60 years of our life together. She must not know what’s going on. She is a dear lady, and a quiet character. She never wants any trouble.”
Walter, who has two grandsons, said he supplied the patches after his wife recently developed a blood clot in her leg that was causing her a lot of pain.
Walter and Eileen’s daughter Caron Hampson, 50, said: I think it’s awful. He’s an 83-year-old man and they treated him like a thug.
“He was concerned about her leg which they didn’t treat right away, and I can imagine he got quite angry about it, but there is no way they needed to call the police. He’s not physically intimidating or violent at all.”
Police confirmed they arrested Walter for administering a toxic substance.
A spokesman said: “On Tuesday, 2 April 2014, police in North Manchester received of report of concern over medicine administered to a resident at a Blackley care home.
“Officers from the Public Protection Investigation Unit started an investigation and a multi-agency strategy meeting was held with partner agencies to discuss how to best to establish the facts.
“Subsequently an 83-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of administering a noxious substance.
“He has been released on bail pending further inquiries until 28 April 2014.
“Officers are continuing to work with partner agencies, including the care home as part of this ongoing investigation.”
Detective Superintendent Joanne Rawlinson, of the Public Protection Division, added: “This is a potentially serious offence in which a vulnerable elderly woman with significant health issues could have come to serious harm and, as such, the police will always conduct a thorough investigation.
“As part of any inquiry like this our priority is always to protect vulnerable people and this may involve certain bail conditions being imposed.”
The Manchester Evening News contacted Allendale Care Home but they have declined to comment.
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