A care home worker assaulted an elderly resident by placing her hand over her mouth after "losing her temper".

Aneta Fortuniak bruised 83-year-old Aileen Marshall's wrist by grabbing her and dragging her on to her side during the incident in Moray.

The care assistant was also convicted of assaulting 90-year-old resident Robert Scott at Spynie Care Home in Elgin four days after the initial incident.

Fortuniak slapped him across the face during an argument over the rails on his bed on Sunday, August 9, 2015.

On Thursday at Elgin Sheriff Court, the 43-year-old was ordered to carry out 240 hours' unpaid work in the community after being found guilty of two assault charges following a trial.

Andrew Laing, procurator fiscal for Grampian, Highlands and Islands, said: "Aneta Fortuniak had been entrusted with the care of some of the older members of our community and having lost her temper, assaulted two of those she was meant to be looking after.

"There is no excuse for such behaviour, it is wholly unacceptable.

"Cases such as this are thankfully rare as the majority of individuals in this vital caring profession provide an excellent service, treating their residents with the care and dignity they deserve.

"We would like to assure the older members of the community that we will seek to bring those who do commit such crimes to justice."

During the first incident on August 5, 2015, Fortuniak and another carer from the residential home were in the room of the elderly woman.

When her colleague left to collect some bedding, she was alerted to shouting. When she returned to the room she witnessed the woman lashing out at Fortuniak, who was trying to remove the bedsheets.

After grabbing the elderly resident on the bed, the woman responded by shouting for help. Fortuniak responded by placing her hand across the pensioner's mouth and, even when asked to release her hold by her colleague, held her hand over her mouth for around a minute.