Bradford City fire hero who helped save 40 people left distressed for 14 hours by care home staff

Heroic David Hustler had suffered a fall at Meadow Green Lodge care home, near Dewsbury, and had activated the alarm for help.

Bradford Crown Court heard how 75-year-old Mr Hustler, who had dementia and Alzheimer's, was left for 14 hours in a "distressed" and "confused" state by the two carers responsible for looking after him in October 2015.

Kaniz Rashid and Margaret Shires were found guilty of wilful neglect by a jury on November 26..

Jennifer Greene, 63, was found not guilty of the same charge.

During the trial, it was heard how Rashid, 51, and Shires, 63, found Mr Hustler and returned him to bed without making any record of his fall, nor reporting his condition to senior staff.

The two will be sentenced in January after a judge released them on unconditional bail.

David Hustler survived the fire at Valley Parade in May, 1985, which killed 56 people in the stands and left a further 265 people injured.

The morning after his fall, Mr Hustler was found in a "clearly unwell" state and rushed to hospital.

He died of pneumonia days later on October 28.

Prosecutor Katherine Robinson said, according to the opinion of a consultant physician and geriatrician, the care given to Mr Hustler amounted to "gross neglect".

Miss Robinson told the jury during the trial that Rashid and Shires visited Mr Hustler at the end of a long shift and both agreed if they were to call an ambulance it would have taken up to four hours to arrive.

She said: "The truth, we say, is they simply did not want to wait. They did not care enough about Mr Hustler's very obvious needs and wanted to go home.

"If appropriate medical assistance had been sought by Rashid and Shires... his chances of survival would have improved."

Addressing the guilty defendants at Leeds Crown Court, Judge Edward Bindloss said: "The jury have found you guilty.

"The next stage in the case is the sentence, which will take place on January 31st.

"I now release you on unconditional bail. You are free to go."