Fifth Former Whiting Employee Sentenced in Patient Abuse Case

A fifth person has been sentenced time behind bars in a high-profile patient abuse case broken by NBC Connecticut Investigates two years ago.

A former caregiver at the state’s maximum security psychiatric facility received a two year sentence, suspended after three months.

Clayton Davis made a plea agreement where he could have received up to six months in jail for his crimes.

Instead, he got half that amount because he had never been in trouble with the law before, and his actions were judged less severe than those of his co-workers.

Clayton Davis was facing five charges of cruelty to persons in connection with the systematic abuse he and fellow Whiting Forensic Hospital employees were seen on video giving to longtime patient Bill Shehadi two years ago.

Prosecutors say Davis did not kick, spit at, or put a dirty mop on Shehadi’s head, as others were accused – but that he did wake the patient up out of a dead sleep and stuck a flashlight in his face.

“His mouth is wide open, his eyes are wide open and his hands are raised toward the light that Mr. Davis is shining in his face, clearly this is done in the state’s impression, to torment Mr. Shehadi,” said prosecutor Jeffrey Doskas.

Davis admitted what he did was wrong, and asked the judge to give him less than the six month maximum jail sentence that his plea deal called for.

“I would just like to say that I’m sorry for what I did I made a bad judgment and if you could be lenient with me, I promise you I will never ever get myself in a situation like this no more,” said Davis.

Even Davis’ wife told the court her husband made a big mistake.

“Just please be lenient with him. He's a good person, and he's very shameful of what he did, and I am ashamed, because I am in the same field as my husband,” she said.

In the end, Judge Maureen Keegan said Davis needed to do some jail time, but less than the six month maximum from his plea agreement.

“The people that you have their care entrusted to you, deserves your highest attention, and your actions in accordance with the law, and what is morally right, every time they are with you,” said Keegan.

With Davis’ sentence, half of the 10 people arrested in the Whiting abuse case have been put behind bars. Two others are awaiting their sentences, and three others still have their cases working through the court system.