Alert support worker avoided 'multiple stab wounds' after patient ran at him with a knife

A quick-thinking support worker at a complex care centre in Grimsby avoided multiple stab wounds in a knife attack, a court heard.

A patient in the Bradley Complex Care centre picked up a knife from a kitchen and ran at one of the staff, attempting to stab him. Patient, Peter Bearman, admitted the wounding offence and three further separate offences of assault on emergency workers.

CCTV of the knife attack on November 11 2022, was shown at Grimsby Crown Court by prosecutor, Richard Butters. It showed Bearman walking into a kitchen, which had not been locked and which he was not allowed to enter.

READ MORE:

More court news Grimsby town centre targeted in 'absurd' spate of graffiti and vandalism

Mr Butters said the defendant, having picked up the knife in the kitchen, charged at the support worker in the corridor, with both hands on the knife. The support worker was quick to spot the danger and was able to push the blade away.

The knife was thrust at his abdomen but the member of staff was able to summon help from colleagues. Mr Butters said it was "thankful" that colleagues intervened.

He said the support worker sustained a cut to his left hand. " He was extremely lucky.

"In his statement he said he is fortunate neither he or any colleague was hurt. If he had not seen the defendant coming towards him he said he would have been stabbed multiple times," Mr Butters said.

When he was arrested by police and taken into custody, Bearman lunged at one of the officers. The knife attack came after a disturbance at another care establishment at Lakeside View. Two police officers attended and were spat at on September 6, 2021.

Officers used a spit guard to quell the patient. Mr Butters said one of the officers attended hospital after being spat at in the the eye. She was taken to hospital for treatment because she was concerned about disease, especially during the Covid pandemic and the risk to her family, said Mr Butters.

He told how Bearman had 13 convictions for 31 offences, mainly for violence. For Bearman, Ian Haywood said his client had severe mental health problems and agreed to a hospital order for his client.

Sentencing Bearman, Judge Richard Woolfall said the defendant was making tangible progress thanks to his compliance by taking medication.

He said: "It was only luck and his (support worker) skill in defending himself that it was not more serious. Mercifully he escaped that and so did his colleagues." He said he had read the psychiatric reports on the defendant and spoke of his pleasure that the defendant was engaging with care staff and medical staff by taking his medication.

He added there needed to be rigorous oversight of the patient to protect the public. He imposed a hospital order.