Man stabbed police officer with scissors, court told

A man tried to kill a Kent Police officer by stabbing him in the head, face and neck 23 times with a pair of scissors, a court has heard.

Robert Jenner is accused of the attempted murder of Sean Quinn, who suffered multiple injuries including a “gaping wound” across his forehead during the attack on 15 June 2023 at the defendant’s flat in Maidstone.

The 50-year-old also ran naked around Mote Park and exposed himself to women earlier that day, Maidstone Crown Court was told.

He denies attempted murder and wounding with intent.

Body-worn footage was shown at the trial of a topless Mr Jenner barricaded in his flat.

After PC Quinn accessed his room, the defendant stabbed the officer, who can be seen screaming for help.

Mr Jenner only stopped the assault when a fellow officer got into the flat and punched him in the head five or six times to force him to drop the scissors, jurors were told.

Pathologist Dr Virginia Fitzpatrick-Swallow highlighted 23 separate injuries – 19 of them to PC Quinn’s face, head and neck.

Opening the case, prosecutor Daniel Stevenson said Mr Jenner “must have been trying to do more than causing really serious injury, he must have been trying to end his life”.

Mr Stevenson said Mr Jenner’s defence was that he was acting to defend himself from what he believed was an unlawful arrest or unlawful entry to his flat, and that he did not intend to kill or seriously injure PC Quinn.

Following the incident, Mr Jenner said: “I didn’t mean to do it”, the court heard.

The court also heard that Mr Jenner had gone to Maidstone Police Station earlier on 15 June to ask for his see-through clothing back from officers that had previously been seized.

Officers refused, and Mr Jenner replied: “I’m going to strip off now”, jurors were told.

At 19:50 BST, Kent Police received a report of a man running naked in Mote Park in Maidstone, “nipping in and out of bushes exposing himself to women”.

The court heard officers, including PC Quinn, suspected it was Mr Jenner, having dealt with him in the past, and decided to visit his address where the confrontation subsequently took place.

The trial continues.

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