A CARE home nurse who booted an 84-year-old patient “as if kicking a football” has been struck off.

Sebastian Neequaye, 63, swung his leg back and kicked the pensioner – suffering from advanced dementia – across his buttocks with such force that he was thrown sideways.

It happened while Neequaye was working at Lindisfarne Care Home in Chester-le- Street, which cares for elderly residents, many of whom have dementia, during a night shift in March, 2009.

Despite being acquitted of assault after a Durham Crown Court trial in May 2010, he was found guilty of the same attack following a hearing by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

The regulator uses a lower burden of proof than criminal courts, where charges must be proved beyond all reasonable doubt.

Alexander Mills, for the NMC, said that shocked care assistant Lyndsey Crawford saw the victim, referred to as Patient A, limp from the lounge holding his backside and leg after the assault, which left him with significant bruising.

She described the kick as very hard and “in the manner you would kick a football”.

Next morning, Neequaye also made inappropriate remarks about Patient A, describing him as a “complete s**t” and a “nuisance”.

Panel chairman Michael Cann said: “Mr Neequaye’s actions caused direct harm to Patient A. The kick was clearly deliberate. Although the charges relate to an isolated incident, the panel has heard that he does have a lengthy disciplinary record and has previously been verbally abusive to patients.”

The panel heard Neequaye, who at the time lived in Wideopen, Newcastle, has serious financial problems and was working at the Heatherfields Care Home, in Cramlington, Northumberland.

The NMC panel ruled that Neequaye, who qualified as a registered mental nurse in 1974, was guilty of misconduct and that his fitness to practice was impaired.

Striking him off the register, Mr Cann said: “Mr Neequaye has expressed no regret or apology for his actions, although he did express regret at a patient being hurt while he was on duty.

“His actions are fundamentally incompatible with his continued registration.

“The serious misconduct involving kicking a highly vulnerable patient would mean public confidence in the profession would be undermined if Mr Neequaye was not struck off.”