A man serving a life sentence for throwing a six-year-old boy from the tenth-floor balcony of the Tate Modern has been convicted of assaulting two nurses at the high-security psychiatric hospital where he is detained.
Violent Attack on Hospital Staff
Jonty Bravery, 24, kicked one nurse in the thigh and clawed at the face of another during a disturbance at Broadmoor Hospital in Berkshire in September 2024. The attack left nurse Linda McKinlay with blood dripping down her cheek, while her colleague Kate Mastalerz sustained a bruised thigh.
The incident occurred when Bravery, who requires constant monitoring by three staff members, attempted to climb onto a windowsill after asking to use the toilet. Nurses intervened to prevent him from harming himself, leading to the violent struggle.
Court Hears Details of the Struggle
Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard in November how the nurses tried to restrain Bravery on his mattress. "He was screaming and shouting and kicking. We shouted for assistance," Ms McKinlay testified. Body-worn footage shown in court captured the chaotic scene, with a panicked staff member heard shouting, "Jesus Christ do something."
Ms McKinlay, a grandmother, revealed this was the first time she had been attacked in her long career at Broadmoor. She required hospital treatment for her facial injuries. Fellow nurse Ms Mastalerz described it as a "very stressful situation."
A History of Violence Behind Bars
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring found Bravery guilty of both assault charges, stating he had "gone too far." Sentencing for these latest offences is due. This is not Bravery's first assault on hospital staff; in 2020, he received an additional 14-week jail term after attacking two other Broadmoor workers.
Bravery is currently at Broadmoor under a life sentence imposed in 2020 after he pleaded guilty to attempted murder. In 2019, he hurled a young French boy from the viewing platform of the Tate Modern in London, causing life-changing injuries including a brain bleed and multiple fractures.
