Schizophrenia sufferer used a hammer on his neighbour (From Warrington Guardian)

Schizophrenia sufferer used a hammer on his neighbour

A MENTALLY ill Crewe man, who attacked a neighbour with a hammer, has been given a three year Community Rehabilitation Order.

Alan Pennington, aged 59, of Davenport Avenue, had earlier told police that he had been 'only playing' after hitting 67-year-old Norman Bowen several times with the weapon.

Having previously pleaded guilty at Chester Crown Court to inflicting grievous bodily harm, Pennington appeared for sentencing last week.

Prosecuting Nicholas Williams told how Pennington had been diagnosed with schizophrenia in the 1980's, but stopped taking his tablets last autumn.

The court heard how in September last year he had gone to a neighbouring flat with a hammer and begun knocking on the door with it.

One witness described him as 'going wild'.

Mr Bowen had approached Pennington and told him to stop, but as he turned to go, Pennington had hit him between two and eight times with the hammer on the back of the head.

Mr Bowen was taken to hospital for treatment to cuts to the head and a broken wrist sustained as he fell.

Pennington was said to have told him: "I warned you - you're always causing trouble."

Later, he told police that Mr Bowen had been pretending to stop him entering the flat so he 'bumped him on the head'.

Mr Williams said that after the assault Pennington had gone back to hammering on the door smashing a hole through it, later explaining that he'd wanted to 'stop the noise coming from the flat'.

Pennington was interviewed briefly by police before being taken to Leighton Hospital where he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

Defending Brett Williamson urged the court to make a Community Rehabilitation Order to monitor Pennington's treatment and, if necessary, enforce it if he refused to take his medication.

Sentencing Judge Elgan Edwards told Pennington: "No-one wants to send you to prison because you are ill.

"It's very important to take your medication because if you don't you will end up in hospital again, and more seriously someone could get hurt.

"If it's between your interests and the safety of the public, the public comes first."