WA aged care worker admits to murdering elderly resident
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A West Australian aged care worker has pleaded guilty to murdering an elderly resident, with the victim’s family bewildered by the act, saying she was a happy and peaceful person.
Monica Stockdale, 70, was residing at the Baptistcare Bathel facility in Albany was she was strangled to death by Jacob Hoysted, 20, in November.
Monica Stockdale was residing at the Baptistcare Bathel facility in Albany was she was strangled to death by Jacob Hoysted (inset).
Hoysted was not charged until the following month following the results of a post-mortem and extensive police investigation.
He admitted the offence during a hearing in Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning.
Shortly after the hearing, Stockdale’s niece said her death had devastated their family.
“Even in her last months, she was still a very happy person, very calm, peaceful, so I don’t think there was any reason for him to have done this,” she said.
“It’s devastating because ideally you’d love to have [your elderly loved ones] home with you but you need them to have that 24/7 care, and she was a lovely lady and an animal lover, whenever she came out with the family she was always very happy.”
At the time of the offence, Inspector Quentin Flatman said the elderly community should not expect to face this type of behaviour.
“Clearly, people go into these facilities seeking the best care. [They are] such vulnerable members of our community, and we are greatly saddened by the death of this woman,” he said.
“I have no doubt that this will very much shake the core of this community and those people who have elderly loved ones in aged care facilities.”
The motive or details of Hoysted’s crime are yet to be revealed.
He will be sentenced in the Supreme Court of Western Australia in October.
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