Soldier's Descent into Violence: PTSD and Attempted Murder

A former soldier who struggled with PTSD and depression descended into violence, attempting to murder his friend after telling him "I'm going to have to kill you." Peter Ormes, 56, was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of seven years and 25 days after pleading guilty to attempted murder.

Key Takeaways:

• Peter Ormes, a former soldier, attempted to murder his friend after struggling with PTSD and depression.
• Ormes had previously served a 10-year prison sentence for a similar incident in 2011, where he stabbed a man 13 times.
• The court heard that Ormes had been drinking with his victim before he grabbed a knife and stabbed him in the neck, chest, and mouth.
• Ormes' defence lawyer argued that his culpability was "substantially reduced" by mental disorder, citing his PTSD and depression.
• A psychiatric report noted that Ormes was still capable of forming intention despite his mental disorder.
• Judge Trowler QC stated that while Ormes' military service was commendable, he had proven himself to be a danger to society.
• Ormes will serve a minimum of seven years and 25 days before he can be considered for parole.

Statistics:

• 2011: Ormes served a 10-year prison sentence for attempting to murder a house guest.
• 2022: Ormes was sentenced to a life behind bars, with a minimum term of seven years and 25 days.
• 56: The age of Peter Ormes at the time of the offense.
• 13: The number of times Ormes stabbed his victim in 2011.
• 10: The number of years Ormes served for the 2011 incident.
• 25: The number of days Ormes will serve before he can be considered for parole.

Sources:

MyLondon: "Man 'didn't realise' he had climbed Buckingham Palace wall armed with 20cm knife"

MyLondon: "Peter Ormes, 56, who told friend 'I'm going to have to kill you' before stabbing him, given life sentence for attempted murder"