Man cut open pub customer's face with cake knife
A MAN has been spared prison after he slashed a pub customer's face with a knife from his ear to his mouth.
Travis Steele lashed out at the bar of a Basford pub on May 24 last year, after a woman said something that annoyed him.
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Steele picked up the knife – left out to cut a cake – and caught the man's cheek in the Vernon Arms, Vernon Road.
Nottingham Crown Court heard he inflicted a 13cm injury. Judge Michael Stokes QC, sentenced unemployed Steele for wounding, which he had admitted.
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He told Steele: "You appear, from what I have read in the psychiatric report, to have misconstrued what was happening, picked up that kitchen knife, which was lying on the bar, and lashed out with it, catching the complainant's cheek and causing a considerable scar."
The judge heard Steele was on medication which was having a "positive effect on him", although his exact medical issue was not revealed.
Judge Stokes told him that normally anyone who behaved in the way he did would go immediately to prison, even if they had no previous convictions.
"But you are not a typical defendant," he said. "It's quite clear from a detailed psychiatric and pre-sentence report that to send you to prison would risk making your present condition considerably worse.
"You have been diagnosed and steps have been taken and medication prescribed, which is having a positive effect on you, and in those circumstances, exceptional as they are, I suspend the prison sentence."
Simon Eckersley said, in mitigation, that there had been a diagnosis of treatment.
The night of the incident had been the anniversary of a death.
Steele had been encouraged to get out the house rather than think about it.
"He overindulged, rarely, in drink," said Mr Eckersley. "He acknowledges what he has done is wrong."
Steele, 24, of Bestwood Park Drive, Rise Park, will be subject to a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for one year, and must do 150 hours of unpaid work supervised by the Probation Service.
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by Neo_MadBadger
Saturday, January 26 2013, 8:45AM
“This story makes for an interesting juxtaposition with this one...
http://tinyurl.com/b4rjvxf
What do people who called for a prison term for the mentally ill person in this story who was not on medication at the time of the attack he carried out but now is and his mental state has improved think about the sentence in the story I posted a link to above about someone of a rational mind and who is trained to inflict harm doing so also being spared gaol?”
by bestwoodbob
Thursday, January 24 2013, 7:20PM
“150 hours unpaid work.................******!”
by SteveBasford
Thursday, January 24 2013, 7:01PM
“each sentence is constructed with reference to the sentencing guidelines, for that particular crime. Years are added for each aggrevating factor and deducted for the various mitigating factors. The sum of these could net out with or without a jail term.Even if there a lots of mitgations, the weighting applied to the aggrevating circumstances could mean a custodial sentence will be inevitable.”
by Daemyn
Thursday, January 24 2013, 6:46PM
“BLawrenson?. ' Do we once again lock up people with mental problems' Erm yes if they are a danger to society , which this individual seems to be, proven by the fact that he flipped so easily. A secure unit and treatment should have been handed down if not prison. I would be interested in your opinion if this individual flips again and, god forbid, this time kills somebody.”
by ShockG
Thursday, January 24 2013, 4:02PM
“Do we lock up people with mental health problems? Well, yes, if they commit a crime worthy of imprisonment. To me, prison is a balance between punishment and justice for victims.
Where do you draw the line? Did God really tell Sutcliffe to murder prostitutes with a ball pein hammer? Unlikely. Incidentally, he's been successfully taking anti-psychotic medication since 1993. Hopefully he'll be out soon now his condition is under control. Or not.”
by BLawrenson
Thursday, January 24 2013, 10:00AM
“Shockg, that is why I said the Judge has to follow the rules and didn't say the Law. He is duty bound to give consideration to all reports and then has to use his "judgement". To then show no regard for the reports would open up the opportunity for an appeal. The question is always going to be "Do we once again lock up people with mental problems ?".”
by ShockG
Thursday, January 24 2013, 12:48AM
“Whilst Magistrates tend to follow pre-sentence reports, judges are less likely to do so. They're under no legal obligation whatsoever to adhere to them.”
by BLawrenson
Wednesday, January 23 2013, 11:49PM
“Daemyn a Judge has to obey the rules or else there is an Appeal and his decision gets overturned. We may think the Law is an ass but it is the Law. It is also easy to sound off without responsibility.”
by Daemyn
Wednesday, January 23 2013, 6:19PM
“BLawrenson..... So your wife, son, daughter, gets slashed/knifed and is scarred for life and you would be quite happy for them to roam the streets again without seeing any proper justice served first. Liar.. This guy should have been sectioned or jailed for a very long time, no questions asked.”
by BLawrenson
Wednesday, January 23 2013, 5:27PM
“The judge had the benefit of a very detailed psychiatric and pre=sentence report, which you don't. He is required to give full regard to such reports in arriving at a sentence and has obviously done so.”