Ludlow schizophrenic's jail term is cut
A schizophrenic who attacked one victim in Shropshire and lunged at a second with a kitchen knife has had his jail term cut.
Jason Karl Shaw, 38, of Poyner Close, Ludlow, was jailed for 14 months at Shrewsbury Crown Court on May 29.
He pleaded guilty to assault, affray and possession of a bladed article.
On November 30 last year, Shaw was at the home of Jonathan Owen, in Ludlow, Mrs Justice Cox told London's Criminal Court of Appeal. He "clenched his fists", started shouting and became "very aggressive" so Mr Owen sought sanctuary in the kitchen. But Shaw followed him, forced him to the floor and got on top of him.
Mr Owen escaped to the living room, but Shaw attacked him again, hitting him twice before the victim was able to escape to a friend's house. The victimsuffered cuts and bruises, four of his teeth were dislodged and his nose was fractured. A few days later he was at home with his brother, Michael Owen, when they heard noises. Michael went out to the garden and saw Shaw making stabbing motions through the fence with a kitchen knife.
He had an "established pattern of violent offending linked to alcohol abuse". Shaw had been unemployed since 2004 due to mental health problems, the judge said. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia and anxiety disorder which led him to hear voices and have paranoid delusions. Brendan Reedy, for Shaw, argued his 14-month jail term was "manifestly excessive".
He claimed the judge failed to take sufficient notice of his psychiatric condition and the role it played in his offending. Shaw had suffered a relapse before the incidents and stopped taking his medication.
Mrs Justice Cox said there was "some force" in the barrister's submissions. Shaw's relapse had led to a "lack of insight" at the time, which "lowered his culpability", said the judge, sitting with Lord Justice Treacy and Judge Jeffrey Pegden QC.
She concluded: "In our judgment the sentence appropriate was one of 10 months."
