A SOUTH Cumbria man who attacked his wife with an axe, leaving her with a devastating and life-changing changing brain injury.

Police were called to mentally ill Joseph Benzie’s remote cottage near Grange-over-Sands in the early hours of 2nd February, 2020, following 999 calls.

“In these, Joseph Benzie spoke of paranoia and ‘guys being outside’, and stated that he had killed his wife and to get an ambulance,” prosecutor Jane Dagnall told Carlisle Crown Court today (mon).

Police found Benzie, now aged 45, stood by the bottom of stairs and heard him say an axe was at the top of them. He repeatedly asked where the ambulance was and requested his phone. He said he had been drinking but hadn’t taken anti-psychotic drugs.

The court heard of Benzie’s unfounded belief that his wife had been having an affair, and phone evidence of an earlier argument between the couple.

“Upstairs the police found Mr Benzie’s wife in bed. She was badly injured,” said Ms Dagnall. “An axe was seized from upstairs.”

His wife had a deep cut behind her left ear but could not recall how the injury occurred. She was taken to hospital where she underwent surgery.

“The last thing prior to being in the ambulance that she recalled was having gone to bed and Mr Benzie had been messing on his phone, pressing the emergency services button. She did explain that he had become

paranoid which was aggravated when he had been drinking and often didn’t take medication he had been given for a mental breakdown he had had,” said Ms Dagnall.

Benzie remained silent in interview.

His wife had suffered skull and facial fractures, and was discharged to the care of her family nine days later.

In a moving impact statement, she outlined the profound, life-changing impact of a brain injury which was “horrible” to live with.

“Before this happened, I was just like everyone else: I could drive, work, remember things and walk around like I was normal,” she stated.

But since the attack, she’d had to relearn how to speak and needed to take multiple drugs daily. Simple tasks were impossible; the former supervisor was no longer able to work; relationships had been affected.

“I get very frustrated because I can’t explain to people what’s going on inside my head. It’s like a washing machine that goes round and round,” she said.

“My brain will never recover from what Joe did to me,” added the woman. “For someone who was supposed to love me and worship the ground I walk on, I just cannot understand why he did what did. The issues I have occur from the minute I wake until the minute I go to bed and have another nightmare. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”

Benzie, previously of Witherslack, admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm having initially been deemed unfit to plead.

He had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was suffering from an episode of mental ill health at the time of his attack. Two doctors concluded that Benzie should continue to be detained in hospital, indefinitely, for specialist treatment.

Judge Nicholas Barker concluded that a hospital order and detention requirement would be imposed. Had he been sentencing Benzie to imprisonment, the term would have been eight years, he noted.

Benzie’s offence was due to the schizophrenia and a failure to take anti-psychotic medication.

“The result of this is that you took an axe and, whilst your wife was asleep in bed, you attacked her with it, striking her to the back of her head. This resulted in very serious injuries,” said Judge Barker.

Of Benzie’s wife, the judge added: “I have read with care and with a great deal of sympathy and sadness her victim impact statement, which sets out the lasting impact that this attack has had on her.”

Benzie was also banned, indefinitely, from having any contact with his victim.