A MUM-of-two said accusations she had been ill-treating residents at a care home made her "feel sick".

Shaunna Hughes, from Dovercourt, faced trial alongside co-worker Peter Crofts at Chelmsford Crown Court.

Miss Hughes, who started working at the care home in Harwich in December 2012, was accused of three counts of ill-treatment against the four residents living there.

She was cleared of all counts by a jury.

Speaking after the verdict, she said: "I was in a carer role until the day the allegations went in, I was due to be made senior on that day, in September 2016.

"I was dealing with personal care, medicine, anything to support their day to day living."

She had been accused of throwing a pen at a resident to wake him up, and starting water fights which ended up inside the home.

Miss Hughes, 26, of King George’s Avenue, said she only ever had a good relationship with the residents, who have severe learning disabilities and mental health issues.

She said: "I got on really well with all the guys, we were always doing something and the music was always on.

"You have got to stay on your toes and at times I worked 15 hour shifts five days a week, but you don't think of the bad stuff, you just focus on the good things.

"It's just like a family because you spend so much time with them."

She said she did not know much about the allegations until she received a phone call from the home, saying she had been suspended.

Two weeks later she had a meeting with the care company.

She added: "The next thing I knew the police were calling, I felt sick."

Senior carer Peter Crofts, of Ramsey Road in Dovercourt, also faced four charges of ill-treatment.

They included physical abuse against residents, such as kicking and hitting. He was found guilty on two counts and will be sentenced on May 11.

Crofts was also involved in the water fight with Miss Hughes.

She said: "The water fight was just a bit of fun, there was no malice.

"It was a hot day in September and two of the residents like the water.

"It was exaggerated a lot for what it was, at the time it was just fun and it didn't upset anybody."

Miss Hughes said there was no reason why her relationship with Crofts would be any different. She was upset at how she had been made to display the same behaviour as him.

She said: "The worst thing about it was Peter had allegations of physical abuse and I was pinned the same as him. I got a lot of abuse from neighbours.

"Being sat there behind metal bars with 12 people judging you, you just want to get out.

"I thought I would be happy hearing 'not guilty' but I just want to know why [the allegations were made].

"I will never get those answers."

Miss Hughes, mum to nine-month-old Ethan and three-year-old Teigan, is now going to spend valuable time with her children.

She said: "I found out I was pregnant with my boy a couple of weeks after I had been suspected, and things just got hard.

"Everyone else just gets to walk away from this, it's horrible.

"Now I'm scared somebody is going to judge me because of what they have seen."