A FORMER resident of a south Belfast children's home yesterday rejected claims a senior member of staff physically assaulted a youngster in her care.
Ruth Colvin, the former head of Bawnmore Road Children's Home, has been charged with six separate counts of child cruelty between September 1974 and December 1976.
The 75-year old, formerly of Glendhu Manor but now residing in a nursing home in the east of the city, has denied all the charges.
As the trial entered its second week, the jury heard from an ex-resident who, after reading press reports on the trial, came forward to refute allegations made by a complainant, who alleges she was beaten by Ms Colvin with a wooden Scholl sandal and a stick and had her hair pulled.
The 54-year old witness yesterday told Belfast Crown Court that the allegations against Ms Colvin, who she called Aunt Ruth, left her "disgusted".
The woman, who at one stage shared a bedroom in the home with the complainant, said she was shown an online newspaper report last Friday about the trial and charges faced by Ms Colvin.
David McDowell QC, the barrister representing Ms Colvin, asked the witness why she wanted to come forward after reading the report.
She replied: "Because it's not true".
The woman said she loved her time in Bawnmore and when asked if she had any memory of the complainant being hit by Ms Colvin or any other member of staff, she said "no".
She said Ms Colvin "would have been stern, but in a good way", adding that she "spoiled us rotten".
The witness was asked about a meeting she had with the complainant's brother at a funeral three years ago when she was told the complainant "is going to take Aunt Ruth to court for abuse and we could all get money of it".
Mr McDowell asked her reaction, to which she replied: "It was just ridiculous".
The woman said she was then contacted by the complainant, who said she was taking Ms Colvin to court and asked that she go to the police.
"I told her 'I'm not going to do that' and said to her 'you weren't even there that long'," she said.
"What are you talking about? Nothing happened to you. Wise up'."
The woman described Ms Colvin as "a good person, 100 per cent".
Under questioning from Crown prosecutor Rosemary Walsh, the witness was asked if children were disciplined by Ms Colvin in the laundry room - where the complainant alleges she was hit with a stick.
She said she would have heard if that was occurring in the laundry room, but accepted she would not have been able to observe if anything was going on.
At hearing.
