Man who slashed stranger's throat in Sunderland's Bar Bloo to be detained in hospital

A man who tried to murder a stranger by slashing his throat in a Sunderland city centre bar during a "vicious" attack has been sentenced to a hospital order.

Rory Witten attacked Steven Finch while the pair were inside Bar Bloo in Sunderland on a Sunday evening in February 2021.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that the men had never previously met and were the only customers inside the bar at the time.

Mr Finch, 48, was cut across the throat with the blade and stabbed in the neck and back, without warning, which led to him losing two litres of blood.

His life was only saved due to rapid surgical intervention at hospital but he still suffers from physical and psychological issues as a result of the random attack.

Witten, who has previous convictions for violence, denied attempting to murder Mr Finch and possession of a bladed article.

However, he was found guilty of both charges by a jury after a trial in October 2022.

The 41-year-old, formally of Stavordale Street, Seaham, County Durham, appeared back at the same court on Monday, October 9, 2023, where Mr Justice Morris sentenced him to a hospital order under section 45a of the Mental Health Act.

This means Witten will be transferred to prison if his illness is treated successfully, which will be determined by the Parole Board.

He will then be subject to a custodial sentence for life with a minimum term of 13 years and eight months.

The judge said: "On the 13th of February 2021, having being to a series of bars in Seaham and Sunderland, Rory Witten went to Bar Bloo in Sunderland city centre.

"Shortly before 8pm, he stood at the bar next to Steven Finch. He had never met or even spoken to Mr Finch before.

"Without any warning, Mr Witten took a knife from inside his coat and walked over to Mr Finch's end of the bar and stabbed Mr Finch three times in the neck and back.

"In doing so, he attempted to kill Mr Finch.

"It was a vicious and wholly unprovoked attack for which no explanation has ever been offered."

During his evidence at the time, Mr Finch said he remembered being placed onto a stretcher, but the next thing he recalled after that was waking up in ICU of the Sunderland Royal Hospital.

He suffered a wound to the right side of the neck which left a 9cm scar, as well as a stab mark to the back of the neck.

The court heard that Witten was seen on CCTV attending a number of bars in the city before making his way to Bar Bloo at around 6pm.

At one point, he was asked to leave a pub because he became angry and threw a pool cue.

Jurors heard at the time that he had told one stranger he was an MMA fighter, although the man thought he was "talking rubbish."

Psychiatric evidence showed doctors were confident there was "some evidence" Witten was displaying symptoms of a mental illness at the time which was consistent with having a delusional and personality disorder.

He was also heavily under the influence of alcohol and possibly drugs at the time which contributed to him having no recollection of the attack.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Finch, who now suffers from PTSD, said: "Being stabbed has had a significant impact on my life in so many different ways.

"I don't know if my life will ever be the same again. When I came out of hospital I was in so much pain.

"I couldn't do anything for myself and it made me feel totally useless. I was on morphine for the pain, that made me sleepy all of the time.

"I also have problems with my lungs and I'm now on an inhaler."

Mr Finch added: "Psychologically I'm still suffering. Rory Witten stabbed me by coming up behind me.

"In the beginning I had flashbacks of someone coming from behind me. Even now I'm still wary being in a public place.

"This has had a massive effect on my social life as I often don't want to be around people.

"Rory Witten does not deserve freedom for what he did."

The judge said the hospital order was the best way of protecting the public from Witten in the future.

Ian Mullarkey, defending, said Witten was lightly convicted and had only served two short custodial sentences in the past.