Carer Jacqueline Wright cried with relief after being cleared of attacking an 80-year-old pensioner.

The 12-day retrial ended yesterday when the jury failed to reach a decision after five-and-a-half hours of deliberation.

Mrs Wright, 43, had always strenuously denied the two charges of assaulting Betty Sunderland at her Cullingworth home.

As Mrs Wright walked free from the dock she kissed her barrister and wept with joy.

Mrs Wright had been part of a 24-hour care team from Keighley-based firm Dalesway Nursing who was looking after the elderly woman.

Mrs Sunderland, who died last year of Parkinson's Disease, told police how in 1997 Mrs Wright had stuffed toilet paper in her mouth, tried to snatch her false teeth and had beaten her with a metal ruler.

But the jury heard how Mrs Sunderland also had a history of lying about her carers to get them into trouble.

Yesterday at Doncaster Crown Court the re-trial finally ended when the jury foreman said that a verdict had not been reached even after being offered the option of a 10-2 majority.

Judge Linda Sutcliffe dismissed the jury and thanked them for their consideration.

The retrial was ordered after a jury failed to reach verdict on the charges after a trail at Bradford Crown Court last December. The she was acquitted of one other charge of assault.

Mrs Wright, of Barnoldswick, Lancashire, declined to comment as she walked free from court with £60 in travel expenses.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.