"Psychotic" British man gets 15 months, psychiatric care for Amsterdam stabbing
A 39-year-old British man, reportedly in a psychotic state and under the influence of drugs, was sentenced to 15 months in prison and TBS with compulsory psychiatric treatment. He had randomly stabbed a man in the cheek and back in Amsterdam’s city center on November 25, 2024, the Amsterdam court reported.
The prison term was reduced and combined with TBS due to the suspect’s “severely diminished responsibility.” According to the court, he is bipolar and suffers from depression, manic episodes, and psychoses. He also regularly used drugs, including cocaine, cannabis, opioids, and benzodiazepines.
On November 25, the suspect approached the victim on Beursstraat. After a brief conversation, he stabbed the victim in the cheek and back. Witnesses reported that the knife used was approximately 10 to 20 centimeters (4 to 8 inches) long.
The victim later described feeling immediate, sharp pain. The suspect also allegedly attempted to stab the victim in the leg, but the victim grabbed his arm, preventing further injury. The incident had a lasting impact, with the victim suffering flashbacks and sleep problems.
The suspect’s lawyer said he was not attempting to kill the victim but only wanted to “scratch him in the face with a knife.”
The court noted that cuts near the head and back can quickly be fatal due to arteries in the neck and vital organs in the chest and back and concluded that the suspect must have realized this.
The defense had pleaded for acquittal, claiming the victim had threatened the suspect with a bottle containing a dangerous liquid, prompting him to act in self-defense.
