Iraq Veteran slashed himself after reading about friend killed in action

UPDATE

Parents’ plea for their troubled son

War vet knifed his own face

Published on Friday 24 June 2011 02:31

A FORMER soldier with post traumatic stress disorder slashed himself with a knife after reading a newspaper report about a friend killed in action.

Lee Murray, who had served in Bosnia and Iraq, called police from home to say he had cut his arms, head and face with a knife, a court heard.

Officers went to his address and saw cuts to his forehead and face and the article about the soldier’s death.

“He asked police what they would do if he ‘kicked off’,” said Helen Griffiths, prosecuting at Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court.

“He then cut himself on his arms, forehead and stomach, each strike drawing blood.”

Murray, whom the court heard had clearly been drinking, told officers he would have both of them and they snatched knives from the property.

He followed them outside, demanding to know where the knives were, and was sprayed with CS gas to subdue him.

Murray, aged 37, of Holmefield Road, Whitwell, Chesterfield, appeared in court in custody and admitted using threatening behaviour on Tuesday, June 16.

He had committed a similar offence in April.

The court was told Murray suffered from post traumatic stress disorder after serving in the Army in Iraq.
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War vet knifed his own face