Violent patient bit, kicked and punched staff at Wakefield hospital

Reza Majidi began lashing out at the Bretton Centre, a medium-level mental health unit at Fieldhead Hospital, where he had been detained after attacking a man with a knife in a block flats in Halifax in August 2017.

The victim had suffered a deep cut to his hand which required surgery.

Majidi, 33, appeared at Leeds Crown Court today to be sentenced for the knife attack, which he had denied but was found guilty of GBH after a three-day trial.

He had admitted three counts of actual bodily harm and one for common assault on members of staff at the hospital on Ouchthorpe Lane on May, 15, 2018.

Assuisted by an Iranian interpreter, prosecutor Amanda Johnson told the court that Majidi had begun to display difficult behaviour that evening and had been due his monthly medication.

He had asked to call his wife but was told by a nurse he had to wait. He began becoming verbally abusive before kicking a door and pulling a television off a wall.

An alarm was eventually activated and 13 members of staff tried to restrain him. He assaulted four of them, including a woman who suffered several fractured ribs, another who was bitten on the arm that required injections, a male worker who suffered a broken nose from being punched and another who was kicked in the head.

Miss Jonhson said that Majidi had some history of violence, including being convicted of assault and battery.

Mitigating, Matthew Harding said his client had been detained for two years at the hospital having been previously diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

He said Majidi had problems with his medication in the past which could have contributed to his behaviour.

Mr Marding added: "The journey since going into the medium secure unit has not been perfect.

"It seems that he is now compliant, he is medicated and is aware of the need to continue taking the medication.

"He is a very different individual who committed the first of these offences."

Judge Penelope Belcher gave him two years' jail, suspended for two years, with a mental health treatment requirement and a rehabilitation requirement.

But she gave him a stern warning about him being taken into custody if he fails to adhere to the conditions, adding: "If you do not comply you will be back in front of me. I very much hope I do not see you again.

"You know what will happen if I do see you again."