Man shot after police knife attack loses sentence appeal

A man who was shot by police while he was brandishing two knives has failed to have his sentence reduced.

Noel Quigley, 46, of Celandine Court, Londonderry, admitted attempted grievous bodily harm with intent and a further charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in April 2021.

In November last year a judge at Londonderry Crown Court ordered him to serve 18 months in custody and a further 18 months on licence.

On Monday at the Court of Appeal, Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan dismissed his legal bid to secure a reduced prison sentence.

The court heard police went to Quigley's flat following a 999 report that a man had injected air into his veins.

Quigley was located in the living room, with a syringe embedded in his chest and threatening to self harm.

Despite deploying irritant spray, he ignored the officers' requests to put down the blades.

Quigley instead lunged towards them with the knives, stabbing and slashing one of the victims about the head.

He fell to the floor after the other constable fired a round which struck him in the chest. Quigley was treated in hospital for the gunshot wound and subsequently made a full recovery.

The wounded officer sustained superficial lacerations to his head and arm which had to be glued following medical attention.

In a victim impact statement he described how the attack left him feeling "completely overwhelmed".

"I do not believe we should be subjected to these traumatic incidents," he added.

"This incident will have a lasting impact on my life as well as my family and other colleagues which would have been prevented if Mr Quigley complied with police instructions on that evening."

At interview, Quigley claimed the use of the spray caused him to go into a "blind panic" during a serious attempt to kill himself.

On Monday, his legal team argued it had been wrong to apply a deterrent sentence.

It was also claimed that Quigley's culpability was reduced because he was suffering from mental impairment at the time of the attack.

Rejecting all grounds of challenge, Dame Siobhan backed the trial judge's assessment.

She said: "Ultimately, the sentence of three years… is proportionate to the issues that arise in this case and is not a sentence that we think is wrong in law or manifestly excessive.

"Accordingly, in all of the circumstances, we dismiss the appeal."