- Stacey Smith lay in wait outside Michala Morton’s home with a hammer
An ambulance worker took a hammer to her manager’s skull in a row over shift patterns before sending a cruel text to a friend admitting what she had done.
Stacey Smith, of Ascot Street in Tameside, attacked North West Ambulance Service patient transport service boss Michala Morton after lying in wait outside her home first thing in the morning.
The 46-year-old repeatedly struck her boss over the head in what police called an ‘unprovoked and frenzied’ attack, during which the ambulance boss also suffered a broken wrist as she tried to defend herself.
Smith screamed at her boss she would kill her – and after fleeing the scene, texted a friend to say: ‘I’ve done it. I’ve smashed her head in. Oppsie (sic) xx!’
The pink-haired ambulance worker had denied attempted murder but was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison, of which she must serve at least two thirds before being considered for parole.
She will also be put on licence for five years following the ambush attack, which has left her boss with ‘profound and far-reaching’ physical and emotional scars.
North West Ambulance Service worker Stacey Smith, who has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after attempting to kill her boss in a row over shift patterns
A mock-up of the text Stacey Smith sent after attacking her boss
She worked under Michala Morton for several years but their relationship soured as the coronavirus pandemic took hold (pictured: NWAS emergency ambulances)
Ms Morton was attacked outside her own home as she set off for work – suffering head injuries as well as a broken wrist
Manchester Crown Court heard that Smith and Ms Morton had worked together for six years prior to the attack at 5.30am on November 11. Ms Morton was in charge of a number of workers, including Smith and Smith’s wife.
But the relationship deteriorated around the time of the Covid pandemic, as ambulance workers underwent drastic shift change patterns to meet the additional demands of the global health emergency.
Prosecutor Hayley Bennett previously told the court the attack came after Smith was not allowed to go onto the same shift patterns as her wife during this time – building feelings of ‘resentment and hatred’ towards her manager.
Ms Bennett said: ‘There was a need for drastic changes to the way NWAS worked. An argument ensued about shift patterns. Stacey Smith filed a formal grievance.
‘The crux of the issue was Stacey Smith and her wife wished to work together and share non-working days.
‘Allowances were made and it seemed as though the matter was at an end, but then the issue of shift patterns arose again.’
The trial heard that the issue went on for several months, exacerbated when Smith and her wife were not allowed to attend a patient’s funeral in July 2022.
This prompted Smith to unleash a flurry of abusive comments on Ms Morton’s Facebook, vowing that she would ‘never let this go’.
The manager then reported her junior colleague to NWAS and asked for the couple to be removed from her team – a request that was denied. The court heard an investigation then kept them seperate.
Concerns later arose around the would-be attacker’s mental health, and that she and her wife were absent from work for six months. They then re-joined Ms Morton’s team – prompting another request from the manager to have them removed.
Smith’s wife later said she ‘could not cope’ with her manager anymore and planned to end her own life – which Smith said she ‘would not have’.
She filed a complaint with the ambulance service, claiming she and her wife were being ‘targeted’ by Ms Morton.
But days before she was due to be interviewed by HR staff, she turned up outside her boss’ house with a hammer in hand, phoning a friend to say she ‘couldn’t take it anymore’.
And as Ms Morton left her house, Smith brought the hammer down on Ms Morton’s skull several times, inflicting horrendous injuries as she called her boss a ‘b****’.
She then drove off from the scene as her boss lay collapsed on the ground. Horrified neighbours carefully placed the attempted murder weapon in a plastic bag so it could be examined by forensic police officers.
Smith had intended to ‘go on the run’ after the attack but was convinced by friends to hand herself in.
Manchester Crown Court (pictured) heard that Smith laid in wait outside Ms Morton’s home in Dukinfield, Tameside, before launching the attack
Sentencing Smith to 20 years in prison and a whole-life order preventing her from contacting Ms Morton ever again, Judge Hilary Manley said Smith had ‘long held a grudge’ towards Ms Morton and had gone to her home ‘in order to ambush her.’
The judge said: ‘I detect very little remorse. In fact it seems you feel you were justified in your actions, or at least driven to it. This was a premeditated offence with planning.’
Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Stephen McNee of GMP’s Tameside Criminal Investigation Department, said: ‘This was a particularly violent attack on the victim which left her with serious and life changing injuries.
‘Physically injuries may heal but the mental trauma of the attack will stay with the victim for life. I’d like to thank her for her bravery in supporting us with our investigation.’
He added: ‘We are pleased with today’s result, which has seen a violent woman taken off the streets and we hope that this goes some way to helping the victim to come to terms with what has happened to her and allows her to heal.’
A North West Ambulance Service spokesperson said following Smith’s conviction last month: ‘We share the relief with Michala over the verdict delivered by the jury. The last year has been incredibly difficult for her, and we hope this will mark a milestone in her ongoing recovery.’
‘An independent review into the disputes which escalated to the terrible attack has given a number of recommendations to the trust.
‘However, we could not have predicted the level of the violence that it reached, which fortunately did not see Michala more seriously injured.
‘We continue to support her as she resumes her duties within the Patient Transport Service.’