‘It’s ruined my life’: Man from Leverstock Green stabbed by nurse calls for harsher sentences and more victim support

A man who phoned his parents to say goodbye after being stabbed has criticised the justice system after his attacker was handed a 32-month sentence.

Matthew Avery from Leverstock Green was stabbed several times by nurse Emmily Chicos in Hemel Hempstead in April 2022.

Emmily, 47, was jailed for 32 months at Luton Crown Court on January 11 after pleading guilty to a section 18 (GBH) wounding with intent and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.

Now, Matthew is calling for tougher punishments.

He said: “It’s ruined my life. As a whole, the justice system needs to be firmer with punishment. I think it's an absolute joke. It’s an absolute travesty, a miscarriage of justice.”

In the 10 months since the incident Matthew has lost his job due to the trauma and anxiety caused by the attack.

He said: “I witnessed my lower intestine come out of my stomach. I phoned my parents straightaway because I thought I was going to die. I wanted to tell my mum and dad that I loved them.”

Matthew has also criticised the police for not doing enough to help him after the incident, alleging that he received no victim support after being attacked.

He explained: “I think there needs to be more care for the victims. Obviously, if you're going for a horrific event like that in your life, you're going to need support to get through it.”

But Herts Police says victim support was offered to Matthew on several occasions.

A statement from Hertfordshire Constabulary said: “We fully understand the impact that crime has on victims and always offer a range of support options, as set out in the Victims’ Code.

“Our victim care centre, Beacon, is staffed by professionals from the constabulary and Catch 22, an independent organisation commissioned to support victims of crime across the county.

“If you have reported a crime to police, you will automatically be contacted by the Victim Service Team who will explain the services available.”

A spokesperson for Ms Chicos’s former employer, East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, said: “As soon as we were alerted to the incident we took formal action to ensure the former member of staff no longer works for us.”

They added: “We would like to reassure our local community that we take such matters extremely seriously, and all our employees undergo relevant employment checks before they begin work with us.”