The son-in-law of alleged elder abuse victim "Auntie Em" told a court that her family took care of her "to the best of our ability" before she was removed from her home.

Bus driver Patrick Hayward Sr., of Cox's Hill, Pembroke, was giving evidence on the third day of resumed civil proceedings brought by nursing assistant Yvonne Dawson against Mr. Hayward's wife Rosamund, adopted daughter of 96-year-old Wilhelmina Liburd.

Ms Dawson, who took Mrs. Liburd into her home after the family homestead at Upland Street, Devonshire, was deemed unfit for human habitation, claims Mrs. Hayward owes her $25,000 in unpaid caregiving fees.

Ms Dawson's lawyer Leo Mills asked Mr. Hayward on Friday if he agreed with the conclusion of Melvin Dickinson, manager of the National Office for Seniors and the Physically Challenged (NOSPC) who gave evidence earlier this year, that Mrs. Liburd was not getting the care she required at Upland Street.

Mr. Hayward replied: "I'm no specialist in this area but I believe that she was being taken care of to the best of our ability."

The Royal Gazette revealed a year ago how environmental health officers declared the filthy, cluttered Upland Street home uninhabitable and an NOSPC case manager believed Mrs. Liburd to be at risk of elder abuse.

The near-blind widow, who lived at the property with Mr. and Mrs. Hayward, two grandchildren and her great grandson, was removed in late 2006 and taken in by Ms Dawson.

Magistrate Tyrone Chin ruled in April that a contract for caregiving services did exist between Ms Dawson and Mrs. Hayward.

Last week, defence witness Mr. Hayward said family discussions about how best to care for Mrs. Liburd led her nephew Stephen Woodley to state that there would be "trouble".

The court heard on Monday that family meetings at Upland Street were attended by Mr. Woodley who, claimed Mr. Hayward, obtained his aunt's power of attorney while the relatives she lived with were off the Island.

Mr. Hayward said Mr. Woodley hired Ms Dawson to look after Mrs. Liburd at home but he and his wife would have preferred to send her to day care at a local care home.

He said he stayed out of one meeting in Mrs. Liburd's bedroom but got involved when it "got loud in the room".

"I walked in the room and made it loud and clear to Mr. Woodley that he has not been here for the many years," said Mr. Hayward. "I said I don't like how you are treating Mrs. Hayward and made it look like she has not been faithful to take care of Mom Liburd."

Mr. Hayward said the meeting was taken outside of the bedroom after which "Mr. Woodley came out and stated to me from what just took place in the room there is going to be trouble from this point on".

This newspaper's initial reports on Mrs. Liburd, who is now at the Continuing Care Unit at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, referred to her only as Auntie Em, as her nephew calls her, but he has since made her identity public. The case continues.