Chatham knifeman jailed for eight years after vicious attack

Eight year’s imprisonment has been imposed on a man who sliced a member of the public’s neck with a knife.

Tony Mezzone carried out the unprovoked assault in Chatham town centre in May 2020 and committed the offence while he was awaiting a court appearance, having been charged with throwing a bed pan full of urine at a paramedic and two police officers.

The 40-year-old, of no fixed address, admitted wounding with intent, possessing a knife in a public place and three counts of assaulting an emergency services worker. He was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday 22 October 2021 and, on top of his custodial term, he will serve five years on an extended licence.

Knife assault

The unprovoked knife assault took place shortly after 3.40pm on Saturday 30 May, when Mezzone approached a group of men who were sitting in Chatham High Street.

Mezzone asked the group ‘who he could score from’ but they declined to engage in conversation with him.

In response, the offender circled the group and approached the victim, a man in his 30s, from behind. He then used a knife to slice the front of their neck.

The victim received treatment at a local hospital for a deep cut to his throat, which required stitches.

Immediately after the attack, Mezzone threw the weapon onto a nearby rooftop before being apprehended by two Kent Police officers. He made clear admissions to the offence while being detained.

Earlier assaults

Mezzone committed the attack while he was on bail, and awaiting a court appearance, for assaulting three emergency services workers.

The assault took place on 7 May at Medway Maritime Hospital and saw him throw a bed pan full of urine at a paramedic and two British Transport Police officers, who were supervising him for an unrelated matter.

He was subsequently charged with three counts of assaulting an emergency services worker and released on bail to attend Medway Magistrates’ Court.

Clear danger

Chief Inspector Shona Lowndes, Kent Police’s District Commander for Medway, said: ‘Mezzone has shown he is a clear danger to the public and I welcome the sentence that has been imposed.

‘There can be no tolerance for anyone who seeks to use a weapon on our streets and our officers reacted quickly to bring him into custody, where he has been held on remand since.

‘The assault he committed against our colleagues working for British Transport Police and the South East Coast Ambulance Service was also abhorrent and disgusting.

‘These emergency workers were doing everything in their power to keep him safe and it is completely unacceptable for him to have subjected them to such abuse. I am pleased to see a custodial sentence has been imposed.’