A mental health nurse has been left with permanent facial scars and enduring fear after a patient stabbed her in an unprovoked late-night attack at a Welsh hospital.
The Unprovoked Hospital Attack
The violent incident occurred at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend at approximately 11.55pm on October 30, 2024. The victim, a nurse on the psychiatric care unit, was conducting routine nightly checks when Alexander Horton, a 34-year-old patient, emerged from his bedroom.
Horton calmly requested assistance, but as the nurse approached, he suddenly placed her in a headlock. He then began striking her face repeatedly with a sharpened pen. The assault lasted around eight seconds before other staff members intervened to restrain him.
Lasting Physical and Psychological Scars
The nurse described feeling the pen puncture her left eyebrow and becoming aware her face was covered in blood. She was rushed to A&E, where she was treated for two lacerations to her left eyebrow and one to the side of it.
In a victim personal statement shared at Cardiff Crown Court, the nurse revealed the profound impact of the assault. "I felt fear each time I entered the ward," she said. "It has left me with two scars... The incident has become part of my life I am struggling to forget about. I'm lucky the pen didn't puncture my eyeball."
She added that she is now hyper-aware of her surroundings, particularly around male patients, and becomes upset when people ask about the visible scars, forcing her to relive the trauma.
Court Hearing and Sentencing
Horton, of Llanarth Road, Llanarth, Monmouthshire, admitted to intentional strangulation and a section 18 wounding offence. The court heard he had a clean criminal record prior to this attack.
Following his arrest, Horton requested valium and stated he felt as if the "world was coming to an end" and that he was "trapped". He admitted missing his medication that day and said something within him "snapped", though he later expressed remorse.
Defence lawyers noted Horton had behaved appropriately during treatment, with no prior indication of violence. Passing sentence, Judge Paul Hobson stated: "(The victim) was someone who was simply doing her job, trying to care for and help you. What you did and the injury you caused has had a profound effect upon her."
Alexander Horton was placed under a hospital order pursuant to section 37 of the Mental Health Act.
