Man who stabbed two people on a petrol forecourt given hybrid order under Mental Health Act

A man who stabbed two people in an attack in South Wigston has been given a hybrid order after pleading guilty.

Around 11.25pm on 3 November last year officers were called to the forecourt of the BP Service Station on St Thomas Road after two men suffered stab wounds.

The victims had driven onto the forecourt to purchase some items from the shop. As they approached the shop, they spoke to 20-year-old Ellis Coulson who was already at the kiosk.

Coulson was then seen to take a knife out of his pocket and hide it behind his back while he continued to talk to the victims.

Coulson has then stabbed one of the victims in the neck before attacking the second victim, again stabbing him in the neck.

Both victims left the scene and drove to hospital where they were treated for their injuries before being discharged.

After extensive enquiries a local officer was able to identify Coulson from the CCTV footage and attempts were made to locate him.

Coulson, of no fixed address, eventually handed himself into police about two weeks later.

He was subsequently charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a knife in a public place.

In September Coulson was due to stand trial but pleaded guilty on the first day of the trial. He pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article in a public place and two counts of Section 18 wounding with intent.

On Friday (22 November) he was given a hybrid order under section 45A of the Mental Health Act. He will receive treatment in hospital and once it’s deemed he no longer needs treatment he will be moved to prison.

He has been sentenced to nine years in prison.

The sentence also includes three unrelated offences - for burglary he was jailed for 18 months, for criminal damage he was jailed for two months and for vehicle interference he was jailed for two months – these sentences are to run concurrently.

Detective Constable Owen Bird was the investigating officer. He said “Coulson’s actions that evening made it clear that he was in a possession of a knife, and he intended to use it.

“This incident could have quite easily led to life changing injuries or even the loss of life.

“We are pleased he pleaded guilty to the offences, and we hope this admission of guilt reassures the victims and those who witnessed this vicious attack that justice has been done.

“We take knife crime extremely seriously and our #LivesnotKnives campaign is aimed deter people from carrying knives and educate them about the dangers of doing so. It also provides support and advice to those who know a knife carrier and for parents, carers and bystanders to be able to spot the signs.”

If you require help and advice, it is available from the Mental Health Central Access Point on 0808 800 3302, this service operates 24/7 seven days a week or visit: https://www.leicspart.nhs.uk/mental-health/i-need-help-now/

Support is also available from The Tomorrow Project on 0116 309 0171 or at https://harmless.org.uk/the-tomorrow-project-3/