THE bosses of a former Southampton care home face a trial next April over allegations of neglect and ill-treating residents.
Annette Hopkins, 63, the owner of the Briars care home, and her manager Margaret Priest, 54, appeared at a short hearing a Southampton Crown Court both dressed in black.
No pleas were entered and the case was adjourned to allow parties to consider around 10,000 pages of paperwork. A trial has been scheduled for April 6, 2010.
Mrs Hopkins, of Thorold Road, Bitterne Park, and Mrs Priest, of Lydgate Green, Hightown, each face 16 charges relating to clients living at the private care home following a police raid. They were given unconditional bail.
The care home, also in Thorold Road, closed in September after it was raided by police and then de-registered by the care regulator, as revealed by the Daily Echo.
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