A teenager severed a woman's finger with a kitchen knife following a confrontation before going on to verbally abuse a nurse.
Kori Stewart had been drinking and smoking cannabis with a group of people at a home in Consett before a "dispute arose" regarding a woman. The 18-year-old then made off to his own home following an altercation before eventually slashing the woman's finger with a knife, leaving it "hanging off".
After the incident, Stewart - who had also sustained injuries - was taken to hospital and began "screaming" and swearing at a nurse during a tirade of vile abuse. When a police officer came to restrain him, Stewart tried to headbutt him before he was finally taken to the ground.
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Stewart, of Cragside Court, Annfield Plain, County Durham, appeared at Durham Crown Court on Wednesday to be sentenced for unlawful wounding, possession of a blade, assault of an emergency worker, common assault and criminal damage. He had pleaded guilty to the charges.
Chris Baker, prosecuting, said it was on October 4 this year Stewart was drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis with two men and a woman at a Consett home. During the get together, a "dispute arose" over a rumour that Stewart had kissed the woman - who was with her boyfriend at the time. He said: "There was an altercation between the men during which one was hit on the head with a vodka bottle. The defendant then left the property but was followed by the woman who went outside and kicked the defendant's windows and went to his door and was shouting."
"She said the defendant was shouting and screaming at her with a knife and she put her hands up", Mr Baker said; "She then realised her finger was hanging off." The woman then "put out" Stewart's windows and he called the police, with a "large kitchen knife" being recovered. The court heard that the woman had "severed her little finger" which later became "fully detached" as she dressed herself.
Stewart, who had also sustained injuries during the confrontation and was "intoxicated", was taken to Durham University Hospital and was put in a bed in a monitoring department. Mr Baker said: "He started shouting, demanding to know why he was waiting and became aggressive to a nurse. He started screaming and swearing at the nurse, calling her a fat c***. The nurse asked a police officer to remove him and the defendant threatened to fight another male in the hospital." When a police officer came to restrain him, Stewart attempted to headbutt him and he had to be taken to the ground.
Days later on October 10, Stewart again continued offending when he was in an "intoxicated state", this time whilst staying at accommodation in Durham. Mr Baker said Stewart went to the reception area and smashed a glass bottle off a desk and asked a receptionist to call police before he "killed someone". The female receptionist was left terrified and believed she was going to be assaulted, the court heard. He then kicked doors before it was found he had "trashed" the room he had been staying in.
When police arrived he asked to be arrested and was put in a police vehicle, but he continued to act aggressively and was abusive to a female police officer. Mr Baker said: "He was put in a cell and was seen wandering around. He then took a fighting stance and kicked a police officer to the right ribs area with significant force. Police took him to the floor and restrained him before taking him to hospital over concerns he had overdosed."
Speaking of the knife incident, Martin Scarborough, defending, said Stewart had been followed and was a "young man who has significant mental health difficulties and autism". He said: "He believed he was under threat and rang the police himself. He went to the door with the knife...the intent was to defend himself but he accepts that went too far." Mr Scarborough added that Stewart had been drinking alcohol since the age of 16 and no significant injuries were caused to the police officers.
Judge James Adkin jailed Stewart for 32 months.
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