A carer accused of assaulting an 80-year-old woman has claimed the pensioner could be "difficult'' and "bombastic'' at times.

Betty Sunderland - who suffered from Parkinson's Disease - was also confused, 43-year-old Jacqueline Wright told the jury at Bradford Crown Court.

"Some days she would be aware of what she was doing, other days she didn't know where she was or what time it was,'' she said. "In my opinion, she didn't know if she was on this earth or Fuller's earth.''

Wright wept in the witness box as she denied the assault allegations made by Miss Sunderland to the police in March last year.

"I did my best for Betty,'' she added. "I never hit her. I couldn't hit her - it is not in my make-up.''

Wright, of Pickards Close, Barnoldswick, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of causing actual bodily harm and one of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. The court has heard that Miss Sunderland's death from natural causes in October this year had nothing to do with the alleged assaults.

Yesterday, on the direction of Judge Norman Jones QC, the jury formally acquitted her of the grievous bodily harm charge. A third charge of causing actual bodily harm was then put to Wright, who again entered a not guilty plea.

The prosecution allege that she committed the assaults during early 1997 when she was one of several carers looking after Miss Sunderland at her home in Cullingworth, near Bradford.

The jury was expected to retire later this afternoon.

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