Universal Health Services: Former Cumberland Hospital Employee Guilty of Wounding Patient

October 26, 2021

A former employee of Cumberland Hospital in New Kent entered a no contest plea as part of an agreement reached during Monday afternoon proceedings in New Kent Circuit Court.

Stacey Burrell, 57, of King William, entered a no contest to an amended charge of unlawful wounding (originally charged with malicious wounding). A no contest plea means that evidence presented in the case would be enough to convict the defendant of the crime.

In a summary of evidence, on Sept. 14, 2019, Virginia State Police began an investigation of Cumberland Hospital in New Kent. Around that time, surveillance footage showed Burrell caring for the victim at the time. The victim did not want to go to bed, resulting in Burrell taking the victim to the bathroom. About one-and-a-half minutes later, Burrell and the victim emerged from the bathroom, with the victim having red marks on their body. The victim was redressed, and the defendant completed her rounds.

Virginia State Police responded to the hospital after the allegations were made.

According to the summary, Burrell made up several stories on how the victim received the mark. But the investigation showed that the hot shower was not the cause of the red marks. Burrell was indicted by a multijurisdictional grand jury in July of this year.

Burrell’s defense attorney, Paul Galanides, commented that Burrell’s recount of events was that she had a cup of hot water and that the victim sustained it while in the bathroom. He emphasized that Burrell acknowledged that an injury had occurred, but no intent was behind it, resulting in the reduction of the charge to unlawful wounding.

A presentence report is being prepared on the matter, with Burrell facing up to five years in prison. Formal sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 20.

Source: Andre Jones, “Former Cumberland Hospital employee pleads guilty to amended charge of unlawful wounding,” New Kent-Charles City Chronicle, Oct. 25, 2021, URL: https://m.cchrint.org/service/home/~/?auth=co&loc=en_US&id=138708&part=2