Mansfield man cut a hole in his victim’s lip with samurai sword
A Mansfield man struck his victim in the mouth with the hilt of a samurai sword in the belief he'd stolen his grandfather's ring, a court has heard.
Christopher Whiting began angrily throwing things at the front door of his victim's home and asking where the ring was on August 8, 2024, said Thomas Welshman, prosecuting.
Around 20 minutes later the man went to the Whiting's home and armed himself with a “makeshift weapon.”
Whiting, aged 40, struck him in the mouth with the hilt of an ornamental sword. He began bleeding and felt his tongue go right through his lip.
He was taken to hospital with a five-centimetre "through and through" wound to the left side of his lower lip which was stitched.
In a prepared statement Whiting claimed his victim had stolen his grandfather's ring and he had hit him in self-defence of himself and his partner.
Nottingham Crown Court heard he has a previous conviction for possessing a butterfly knife from 2014.
Jonathan Dee, mitigating, said Whiting, who has multiple mental and physical health issues, had been a recent in-patient in a mental hospital where he was “successfully treated.”
He said that psychiatric evidence suggested the attack was “entirely out of character” for him and letters from a drug and alcohol agency indicated he is doing everything he possibly can to deal with his cocaine problem.
“It is a very different case because he struck him with the hilt rather than the tip of the blade,” said Mr Dee.
Whiting, of High Street, Mansfield Woodhouse, admitted unlawful wounding on the day of his trial.
Judge James Sampson said his strong personal mitigation and the prospect of his rehabilitation enabled him to suspend the sentence
"You believed the complainant had stolen an item of some value to you,” he told him. “Your victim armed himself with a makeshift weapon. You didn’t intent to make contact with him.”
On Friday, Whiting was sentenced to 12 months, suspended for two years, with a mental health treatment requirement and 30 rehabilitation days in addition to the ones he is undertaking voluntarily.
"I accept you behaved out of character and it is unlikely you will appear before the courts again," the judge said.