A man suffering a psychotic episode waited for his victim and then attacked him with a wooden mallet, fleeing while shouting about "skinning people alive and drinking the blood of children".
Tommy Boylan sat on a bench at Constantine Bay beach reading a book as he waited for his victim, having spent much of the day asking the victim's partner when he would be there.
At about 4.40pm on July 6, 2023, the victim was helping his partner load jewellery from her beach stall into her van when Boylan ran at him carrying a wooden mallet. He swung the mallet between 15 and 20 times at the victim and pushed him to the ground before the mallet slipped from his hands.
A sentencing hearing at Truro Crown Court on Friday (September 18) heard how Boylan then fled on his bike along the coast path. A lifeguard from Treyarnon Bay, alerted to the incident, overheard him shout about "skinning people alive and drinking the blood of children".
Boylan, 32, of Island Crescent in Newquay, was spotted on rocks trying to evade capture. This led to a police helicopter being deployed and later the RNLI lifeboat being called to rescue him from the water.
The victim was taken to Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske in Truro. Despite having some bruising, he did not suffer any fractures.
Boylan was arrested and admitted the attack in a police interview. He was charged with one count of causing actual bodily harm and one count of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, to which he pleaded guilty.
In his defence, Ramsay Quaife said Boylan had been suffering a mental health episode at the time and has since undergone treatment and is in remission.
His Honour Recorder Christopher Quinlan, KC, said Boylan went after his victim because he believed the victim had been involved in matters that were not true. He said a psychiatric report showed clear evidence Boylan had been in the grip of a psychotic episode, and the attack was directly motivated by that schizophrenia.
Recorder Quinlan said character references showed Boylan could be a "caring and considerate person who has not shown any evidence of violence in recent times". He said Boylan had also engaged positively with mental health treatment.
Recorder Quinlan added: "It was a public attack with a weapon. It must have been terrifying for the pair of them."
He sentenced Boylan to nine months in prison suspended for 18 months, a mental health treatment requirement and 15 days of rehabilitation.
Get all the latest stories, sent straight to your WhatsApp – all you need to do is click the link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CKObHkgJF4T5fRZxiGdYqd
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice: https://bit.ly/41EZjzx
Mallet Attacker Shouted About Skinning People Alive