'I will never forget colleague's cry of anguish'

A police officer from Kent has told a court she will never forget hearing a “cry of anguish” as her colleague was stabbed by a man with a pair of scissors.

Robert Jenner, 50, is accused of the attempted murder of Kent Police constable Sean Quinn.

The attack at the defendant's flat in Albion Place, Maidstone, on 15 June last year left Mr Quinn with multiple injuries, including a "gaping wound" to his forehead which exposed his skull.

Mr Jenner denies attempted murder and wounding with intent. He previously told the court he was trying to defend himself from what he believed was an unlawful arrest or unlawful entry to his flat.

A trial at Maidstone Crown Court heard that “aggressive” Jenner barricaded his flat with a sofa before officers forced entry to his home to arrest him.

Mr Quinn followed Mr Jenner into his kitchen living room where the door closed behind him and Mr Jenner “launched” himself at the officer, stabbing him 23 times in the head, face and neck, the court heard.

On Wednesday, police constable Angela Bates told jurors through tears: “I heard, I’ll never forget it, a cry of anguish. I couldn’t tell who it was.”

Once she and two other officers got into the room, climbing round the furniture blocking the flat entrance, she described seeing the pair on the floor “spooning”.

“[Mr Quinn's] head was covered in blood and there was a pool of blood just spilling out behind his head, it was horrific," said Ms Bates.

Ms Bates said she hit Mr Jenner five or six times on the back of his head before he released a pair of scissors.

The court heard how Mr Quinn and Ms Bates visited Mr Jenner's address after receiving reports of a man running naked in Mote Park, Maidstone.

The officers said they suspected the man to be Mr Jenner, and, after receiving further details which matched [Mr Jenner's] profile, went to arrest him, they told the court.

Defending Mr Jenner, Christopher Jeyes said that it was not necessary for the officers to seek the arrest of Mr Jenner that day, and that during the visit to his flat officers were “annoyed and frustrated”.

But Ms Bates rejected this, adding: "I was there to arrest him, protect the people of Kent, particularly women and girls.”

The trial continues.

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