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Nurse Attacked with Pen in Hospital Ward
16 Jan
Summary
- A patient assaulted a nurse with a sharpened pen during a routine check.
- The nurse sustained trauma, fearing further attacks and reliving the incident.
- The perpetrator received a hospital order under the Mental Health Act.
In an unprovoked assault, Alexander Horton, 34, attacked a nurse at Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend on October 30, 2024. Horton, who had been admitted three days prior, emerged from his room and, after asking for help, put the nurse in a headlock and assaulted her face with a sharpened pen. He later stated he had missed his medication, causing him to snap.
Horton admitted to intentional strangulation and a section 18 wounding offense. The nurse, in a victim personal statement, detailed her ongoing fear and the emotional toll of the assault, noting her sight was affected and she was left shaken. She expressed relief that the pen did not puncture her eyeball.
Sentencing Horton, Judge Paul Hobson highlighted the profound impact on the victim, who was merely performing her duties. Horton was made subject to a hospital order under section 37 of the Mental Health Act, with his defense noting his appropriate conduct during psychiatric treatment prior to the incident.
