Care company Bupa has been fined £400,000 following the death of a 91-year-old woman.

The firm was also landed with costs totalling £15,000 at a crown court hearing in Carlisle today.

It followed the death of dementia patient Josephine Millard, who was found dead next to her bed at the Bupa owned Beacon Edge home in Penrith.

At a previous magistrates hearing in Carlisle, a lawyer representing Bupa Care Homes entered guilty pleas to two charges – failing to ensure Mrs Millard's safety and failing to give its staff adequate safety training.

Mrs Millard's daughter Kate Lilley has previously spoken of the impact of the tragedy.

“My mother was a gentle caring person who would not have hurt a fly,” she said.

“She deserved a more peaceful end than the one she had. She had no voice because she was affected by Alzheimer's and was profoundly deaf.

"We turned to Bupa to give her care and support in her last months. But I have say that we have been let down. All I ever wanted was to be her voice because she didn't have one of her own."

The two charges were brought by the Health & Safety Executive.

The first charge admitted by Bupa was that the firm failed to provide “care and support for people with dementia type illnesses”, or to ensure “persons not in their employment, namely Mrs Josephine Millard, have not been exposed to risks.”

The second charge, also admitted, was that Bupa failed to ensure all its staff using beds and bedrails were given adequate health and safety training.

The pensioner's body was found next to her bed on the morning of September 24, 2013.

A spokesman for the home said Bupa staff wanted to offer their condolences to Mrs Millard’s family.