By Staff Reporter

Last updated 05:18, Friday, 21 November 2008

A PATIENT on a psychiatric ward in Carlisle, who threatened to kill a member of staff there, has been jailed for 120 days.

John Huntington, who was in the Rowanwood unit at the Carleton Clinic, became fixated with health care assistant Shona Dunning.

He initially asked whether she had a boyfriend or was married.

The 49-year-old then began telling Ms Dunning that he loved her and wanted to marry her – up to six times each day. That made her feel threatened because she appeared to be singled out for attention.

Huntington went on to tell other staff that he had seen blood running down her face and that he was going to kill her.

He also said that if he saw Ms Dunning with another man he would kill them both.

The court heard that Huntington’s actions meant Ms Dunning had to be moved to a different unit where she did not know staff or patients.

Huntington admitted harassing Ms Dunning between October 3 and November 4 when he appeared before city magistrates last week.

He was remanded in custody then and sentenced yesterday via a video link after the Bench considered medical and psychiatric reports.

Presiding magistrate David Taylor told Huntington that the case was so serious that only a custodial sentence was appropriate.

He said he had threatened a member of staff who was trying to help him. People who did that line of work were highly valued by society.

Huntington, who represented himself, said: “Please let me stay in prison. I’m having a happy time.”

He was a patient at the Rowanwood unit as the result of a hospital order imposed by West Allerdale magistrates. That will remain in place on his release from custody.