Aka is, of course, “mentally unwell.” Just another example of the global outbreak of mental illness.
“Why knifeman went on rampage at Leicester Royal Infirmary,” by Suzy Gibson, Leicestershire Live, August 25, 2018:
A thug who randomly stabbed a man with an 8 inch hunting knife during a violent rampage at Leicester Royal Infirmary was seeking attention, a court heard.
Yusuf Aka was also looking for treatment he thought he ought to be receiving when he caused chaos at the hospital’s emergency department
Although it was accepted that Aka was mentally unwell, at his sentencing today the judge said Aka’s violent psychotic episode could have been self-induced by cannabis use.
Aka, 22, of Grovebury Walk, Leicester, was on licence from a seven year detention sentence for armed robberies when the incident happened.
He was captured on CCTV, shortly after 2am on Tuesday, January 16, walking up to the hospital’s emergency department carrying the knife, before lashing out at a stranger.
The stranger and his friend fled, chased by Aka, who soon returned to the emergency department.
Wearing sunglasses and with his hood pulled up, Aka then casually walked into the department’s waiting area.
Once inside, he tossed the knife at a member of staff and threw about equipment.
Frightened patients fled or were ushered to safety by staff, as one brave nurse approached him while calling on colleagues to summon security.
Sentencing at Leicester Crown Court, Judge Philip Head said Aka told a doctor that the motivation for doing what he did at the hospital was because he wanted “attention”.
Of the man Aka stabbed, the judge said: “The victim, at that time, was homeless, and your attack upon him was entirely random and he just had the misfortune to be there.
“You wanted to get attention and, as you explained later, treatment you thought you ought to be receiving.”
Judge Head told Aka he had viewed the CCTV footage of the attack.
“You were wearing sunglasses and carrying an eight inch knife with a partially double-sided blade,” he said.
“One of the two men saw it in time and got out of the way, and as his friend walked past you grabbed him and stabbed him in the back, high up between his shoulder blades.
“It can be seen to be a forceful blow.”
The victim suffered a fractured vertebra.
Judge Head said: “They ran off and quite clearly you chased after them.
“The inescapable inference is you wanted to effect further damage to your victim.”
James Thomas, prosecuting, told the court: “The defendant [then] walked into the reception and communal area of the Accident and Emergency Department, with patients waiting to be treated.
“He threw the knife towards a member of staff, which missed and struck a wall with such force the blade broke.”
He set about the computer terminals, ripping monitors from the desk and throwing them across the waiting area at members of the public and staff, who were trying to usher patients away.
“A man in a wheelchair who was being wheeled to safety was struck with a monitor, but fortunately wasn’t injured but was left very distressed.”
Security staff were called, and when they arrived Aka attacked them.
He punched the first security officer, who was left dazed. When another security officer came to his colleague’s aid, Aka was wrestled to the floor and detained until the police arrived.
The court was told that the man who was stabbed said later in a statement: “I thought he was going to kill me.”
He said he ran for his life, and he knew he needed urgent medical help but was scared because he knew the knifeman was in the A & E department.
The court heard that Aka had a history of mental health problems and had previously asked for help, and at other times had said he did not want to continue taking medication….