A violent patient, already serving a life sentence for throwing a six-year-old boy from the tenth floor of the Tate Modern, has been given a further jail term for a terrifying assault on two nurses at Broadmoor high-security hospital.
A Terrifying Attack on Caregivers
Grandmother and nurse Linda McKinlay told Westminster Magistrates' Court how she was left with blood dripping down her face after Jonty Bravery clawed at her cheek and eye. The attack happened in September 2024 when she and colleague Kate Mastalerz were trying to prevent Bravery from throwing himself off a ledge within the hospital.
Ms McKinlay, who said it was the first time she had been attacked in her long career at Broadmoor, described being left very shaken by the incident. She required hospital treatment for her injuries. Ms Mastalerz was also assaulted, suffering a bruised thigh after Bravery kicked her, and recalled shouting for help during the very stressful situation.
Court Hears Details of Violent Assault
Body-worn video footage played in court showed the two women struggling on the floor with the 24-year-old before other staff rushed to intervene. Bravery was found guilty in his absence of two counts of assault after refusing to attend his trial.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring, sentencing Bravery to 16 weeks in prison, stated it was sadly those who care for him who become targets. The sentence will run concurrently with his existing life term. The judge noted Bravery's significant mental health difficulties but emphasised it is very unlikely he will be deemed safe for release after his minimum 15-year term unless something significant changes.
A History of Violence and a Life Sentence
Jonty Bravery is currently held at Broadmoor in Berkshire after being handed a life sentence with a minimum 15-year term for the 2019 Tate Modern attack. He had hurled a six-year-old French boy from the gallery's tenth-floor balcony. The child survived the 100ft fall but sustained life-changing injuries including a brain bleed and multiple fractures.
This is not Bravery's first assault on hospital staff. In 2020, he received a 14-week sentence after admitting attacks on other Broadmoor workers, including punching and hair-pulling one assistant and biting another. For the latest assaults, he was also fined a total of £350.
Jessica Hart from the Crown Prosecution Service said the violent incident was distressing for the nurses who were simply doing their jobs, and that the conviction was secured through strong evidence including the video footage and the nurses' accounts.
