Andrew Reed has appeared in court
Town Street in Beeston(Image: Google Maps)
A Beeston man who stabbed a gym-goer in an unprovoked knife attack has been made the subject of a hospital order.
Andrew Reed, 32, of Beeston Park Terrace, had previously admitted wounding, having a bladed article in a public place and possession of a class A drug before appearing at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday to be sentenced.
Prosecutor Matthew Stewart told the court: “The defendant and complainant were not known to each other and the assault would appear to be a completely unprovoked attack upon a stranger in the street at the time, when it seems clear that the defendant was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It happened when the complainant was making his way to the gym and was on Town Street in Beeston.”
The court heard Reed went towards the victim and started shouting racial slurs at him when he attacked in October 2024. Mr Stewart said he asked the man: “Is it time for war” before saying: “I’m a white man this is my world.”
The prosecutor said: “The complainant said: ‘Why are you saying these things to me?’ He told him to ‘shut up’ and ‘go away’ and the defendant advanced aggressively to him. He [the victim] felt under threat and kicked out at him in order to push him back.”
It was said the man managed to turn away, but was followed by Reed who was “running after him with a small knife.” Mr Stewart added: “The defendant struck several blows to the complainant with the knife, resulting in him sustaining stab wounds to the back, chest area and left forearm.”
Part of the blade became embedded in the man’s chest, before Reed ran from the scene. A member of the public passing in their vehicle had verbally intervened and the victim called his uncle, who took him to Leeds General Infirmary, where it was discovered he had suffered wounds including one that measured 2cm to the left side of his upper back.
Reed was identified and arrested from his home on October 31, 2024. As he was arrested, officers seized two small craft knifes and blades that “are visually similar to part of the blade recovered from the complainant’s chest.” A small bag of white powder was also seized and later found to be cocaine.
Mr Stewart said Reed declined to be legally represented in his interview with officers. He said: “He admitted being involved in an altercation with someone in the street at the location at the time. He denied assaulting the man, suggesting that he was acting in self-defence.”
Reed told officers it could not have been the same complainant, as the man he was fighting was “struck in the neck and not his rib cage.” He accepted he had been in possession of a small craft knife and a blade and said it was unlikely he was under the influence of drugs at the time. The court heard Reed had previous convictions for possession of a hammer, battery and assaulting two police officers.
His Honour Judge Mansell KC told the court Reed had been suffering a psychotic episode at the time of the attack and was under the influence of drugs and had not been taking medication for his condition, which was later said to be a schizo-affective disorder.
A Dr Broadhurst told the court: “His lack of insight is something that is inherent with his condition. We have seen when he is better treated a measure of insight from his admission to now. There is a stark difference and that seems to be correlating with the use of medication and leads me to think it was part of the illness, and if he was better treated at the time, I think it is unlikely this would have occurred.
“His use of cocaine is clearly a concern and would have exacerbated impulsivity and his symptoms themselves.” Reed was made the subject of a section 41 hospital order under the Mental Health Act.
Judge Mansell said: “Your illness is not the sole cause of you committing these offences. The fact you were not taking your medication largely in the community I put down to the illness itself. You had not yet had a proper diagnosis. I do hope you continue with your progress and get better and better.”
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