Man caught a biro pen in affected person’s neck earlier than stamping on his head

A violent thug stabbed a biro pen into a hospital patient’s neck before stamping on his head in a vicious attack at a mental health unit.

Michael Jennings branded his victim a ‘little bald b*****d’ during the explosion of violence after spending the evening drinking at Clock View Hospital in Walton, Merseyside, on March 12.

The 34-year-old, who was ‘abusive and hostile’ towards staff at the unit and threatened to stab them if they didn’t let him leave before turning his anger on fellow inpatient Mark Evans in the early hours of the next morning.

Jennings, who had voluntarily admitted himself to the hospital after having suicidal thoughts savagely assaulted Evans in a courtyard at 3am after the complainant kicked out at him following an argument.

The defendant stuck a biro into the victim’s throat, punched and kicked him, before stamping on Mr Evans’ head as he lay on the floor unconscious. He then went onto attack another inpatient before staff intervened.

At Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday Jennings was jailed for four years and eight months after admitting wounding with intent and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, said following the attack parts of the broken pen were ’embedded’ in the left hand side of Mr Evans’ neck, with other remnants recovered from the courtyard.

Mr Hopkins added: ‘Mercifully, there was no serious injury caused aside from the serious wound. The victim was treated by having the pen surgically removed from his neck.’

After the attack on Mr Evans, Jennings, of Quarryside Drive in Kirkby, then turned his attentions to another resident, Alan Price, who had been in the company of Mr Evans at the time but retreated inside as the incident unfolded. 

The footage showed the two men squaring up and exchanging punches before this second complainant was similarly knocked to the ground, where he continued to be kicked until staff intervened.

He was left bleeding from his nose and mouth as a result. Later, in a communal area, Jennings was heard to remark: ‘Where is the little bald b*****d? I’m going to f*****g kill him.’

His criminal record shows 24 entries for 50 offences including affray and possession of an offensive weapon in 2006, robbery in 2008, possession of class A drugs with intent to supply in 2012 and wounding without intent in 2017. 

Matthew O’Neill, defending, told the court: ‘The defendant was suffering quite severely with his mental health at the time these offences were committed, so much so that he was an inpatient at Clock View Hospital.

‘His recollection of the events is non-existent. He cannot recall doing what he did.

‘One thing he can say is that he deeply regrets acting in the way he did and causing the injury and harm he did to both complainants. He has significant trauma from serving a period of imprisonment on one occasion.

‘From then on, his mental health has deteriorated. Clearly, mixing that with the misuse of class A drugs led him to where he is today.

‘He has spent some time now in custody on remand and has had time to reflect. He feels it has been a watershed moment for him.

‘The hope is that, with further help within prison, he can come out of it a better person. The Michael Jennings you speak to when in a far more stable place is not the defendant who was acting in the way he did on this night.’

Appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse, he was jailed for four years and eight months – of which he must serve two thirds before becoming eligible for release – and handed an additional four years on licence.

Sentencing, the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC said: ‘Apart from you and your issues, both of these men were potentially vulnerable inpatients at the hospital. 

‘For some reason, in the early hours of the morning, you began to behave irrationally and pick arguments with other people, including members of staff, and making serious threats.

‘That culminated some time between three and four in the morning with you going into the garden area, where you initially confronted Mr Evans. There was plainly some argument and you, without warning, attacked him viciously.

‘You, at some time, used a biro pen to stab him in the neck. You also kicked out and punched at him, knocking him to the ground.

‘When on the ground, you repeatedly kicked him including viciously stamping on his head. The attack could easily have been fatal, or he could have been left with very serious injuries.

‘As it is, he suffered nasty injuries with some consequences. Whether they will be permanent is impossible for me to know.

‘Your second victim, Alan Price, retreated, seeing the confrontation, into a nearby room. You, without warning, started to fight with him.

‘You knocked him to the ground and again kicked out or stamped on him. You were not wearing shoes at the time, but the force used could have caused really serious injury to both of these men.

‘The CCTV is frightening and displays the real brutality on your part, with no regard for the welfare of the people you were attacking. I am not surprised that you are distressed at seeing those images, they are undoubtedly very distressing indeed.

‘You have a significant record of past convictions, including a history of violence. That record shows that you are someone who is regularly capable of violence.

‘You are someone who has struggled with and battled against mental illness for many years. You were at Clock View Hospital because you had voluntarily submitted to treatment, having been brought into hospital because of your expression of a desire to harm yourself.

‘There have been a number of admissions to Clock View Hospital in the past year or so for similar reasons. You are someone who suffers from a number of personality disorders.

‘It may well be that they do not have an organic basis, but are at least linked to substance abuse with related symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

‘On the night in question, your underlying personality disorders were made worse by the fact that you were continuing to abuse both alcohol and drugs.’

For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support