Former home health aide, accused of defecating in patient's oven, to take case to trial

The Hour Newspapers Police Beat The Hour Newspapers Police Beat Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Former home health aide, accused of defecating in patient's oven, to take case to trial 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

NORWALK -- A 41-year-old former home health aid is opting to stand trial on allegations that she defecated in her former patient's oven.

Fiona Clarke, of Fairfield, elected to reject the prosecution's plea offer -- the terms of which were not disclosed -- Thursday at Norwalk Superior Court and contest the charges against her at trial. Jury selection for the trial is slated to begin on July 7, and the trial will last approximately one day. Her attorney Kevin Black declined to comment on the matter.

Clarke is charged with second-degree breach of peace and third-degree criminal mischief. Both of the charges are Class B misdemeanors punishable by up to six months in prison.

Norwalk Police say Clarke was tasked with taking care of an elderly Alzheimer's patient on New Canaan Avenue. The elderly woman lives with her daughter's family. The family decided that the Alzheimer's patient needed around-the-clock supervision, and Clarke was asked if she wanted to work more hours, police said.

When she declined, the family of the New Canaan Avenue woman hired another home health aide to cover the hours that Clarke could not work, according to police.

Clarke became spiteful, police said. She was rude toward the family, and she "caused problems" with the other home health aide, police said. The family subsequently laid off Clarke in early February, police said.

On Feb. 7, 2013, a member of the elderly woman's family turned on the oven in her home, and began to smell "feces and mothballs," according to police.

The family member opened the oven and found feces wrapped in a paper towel, police said.

A family member also noticed a foul smell when opening the refrigerator, police said. Buried under other items in the refrigerator, the family member found another piece of feces wrapped in a paper towel, according to police.

Several items in the refrigerator were thrown in the trash due to possible contamination, police said. The elderly woman's grandson called police to report the incident.

Though Clarke denied sabotaging the elderly woman's oven and her refrigerator, police gathered enough probable cause to get a warrant signed for her arrest.