A mentally-ill South Yorkshire man attacked a motorist before pulling out two samurai swords

A mentally-ill man has been spared from jail after he drove a car into another motorist before assaulting him and damaging the victim’s car with samurai swords.
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Leon Pedzisai, aged 25, of Henley Rise, near Bradgate, Rotherham, assaulted the other motorist and damaged his car near Clough Bank and Henley Rise, according to a Sheffield Crown Court hearing.

Prosecuting barrister Jane Brady told the hearing on March 25 Pedzisai crashed into the complainant’s car and dragged him from his vehicle and assaulted him before pulling out two samurai swords from the boot of his own vehicle.

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The court heard the complainant suffered head injuries and was treated at hospital but he could not remember what had happened.

A cordon of police tape    (Photo credit should read NIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP via Getty Images)A cordon of police tape    (Photo credit should read NIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP via Getty Images)
A cordon of police tape (Photo credit should read NIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP via Getty Images)

However, a witness stated the complainant’s vehicle had been lifted off the ground in the collision before the complainant was attacked and the defendant got two samurai swords from his car and attacked the complainant’s vehicle.

Mr Justice Martin Spencer said told Pedzisai: “I consider your actions out of character by someone suffering acute mental illness. It’s more a result of the illness than wickedness and of course I do not punish illness.”

Ms Brady added while Pedzisai was in police custody he also assaulted an officer as he pushed past him.

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Pedzisai pleaded guilty to dangerous driving in his mother’s vehicle, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, possessing a bladed article in public and to assaulting an emergency worker after the incident on November 2, 2020.

Rebecca Tanner, defending, said: “The offences themselves were committed by Mr Pedzisai while he was in the grips – as what is described by the psychiatrist – as an act and transient psychotic episode.”

She added he had the swords while exhibiting delusional beliefs and he was unwell and that coincided with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ms Tanner said economics university student Pedzisai had also started to self-medicate with cannabis which also affected his mental health and he is thoroughly ashamed.

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Mr Justice Spencer sentenced Pedzisai to 18 months of custody suspended for 12 months with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and a mental health treatment requirement. The defendant was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.

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