Woman sliced open man's cheek while doctors waited for a bed to free up at a mental health ward

Sofia Clacken's doctors had raised concerns about her mental state and urged that she be re-admitted into care ahead of the savage stabbing on Cowley Road, Oxford, in December 2017.

But those pleas came too late and despite the 47-year old having stopped taking her medication altogether, she was free to wander the city, where she ultimately left her victim scarred for life.

Ahead of her sentencing hearing at Oxford Crown Court yesterday, Clacken had already admitted one count of wounding and one count of having a bladed article.

Outlining the case, prosecutor Cathy Olliver said the alarm had been sounded by her doctors ahead of the attack that brought her to court.

She said: “She [Clacken] has a long history of mental health [problems] and she had stopped taking her medication, and her mental state had started to deteriorate.

“Her doctors had wanted to re-admit her to a care ward but were waiting for a bed to be available.”

Detailing the brutal attack that followed, she said that Clacken's victim - charity worker Jan Vejtasa, was waiting for a bus to get to London and was roaming Cowley Road at about 2.45am.

Clacken was also wandering Cowley Road and the pair's paths crossed as she walked towards him in the opposite direction.

As they passed Clacken asked the man why he was out on the street at that time.

Explaining he was waiting for a bus the woman snapped back 'don't speak to me like that', and it was then she pulled out a Stanley knife and sliced him once across the face.

She carried on walking and so did Mr Vejtasa, but he soon realised he had been stabbed when he noticed blood gushing from his face.

He then walked to a nearby kebab shop before calling for an ambulance and was treated for his wound.

The injury, a six centimetre long cut across his left cheek that required 15 stitches, has since left a permanent scar across his face.

At the sentencing hearing yesterday Mr Vejtasa took to the witness box and read out his victim personal statement, in which he said he forgave the woman for her actions because of his beliefs.

He said: "I was asked how this has affected me emotionally. I believe in Jesus and he has helped me to forgive her."

During mitigation, Clacken's clinician Doctor El-Shirbiny said that his patient suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and recommended that she be made subject to a hospital order in order to continue her treatment.

He said: "It is necessary for her health, her safety and for the safety of others, and that treatment is available."

Sentencing, Judge Ian Pringle QC called the wound a 'horrific' injury and said: "You brushed the side of his face, or that is what seemed to him.

"In fact you had a box cutter in your hand and you cut his cheek very deeply and caused a very serious wound.

"He has read his victim statement and he has forgiven you because of his deeply-held faith and I am sure that will be of some comfort."

He went on to order that Clacken be detained under the Mental Health Act for treatment indefinitely.

She was made subject to a Section 37 and Section 41 order under the Act which requires her to undergo ongoing treatment at a mental health facility without any limit of time.

As she left the court she thanked the Judge before Mr Vejtasa, who had been sitting in the public gallery, shook the woman's hand and gave her a hug.

Speaking after the hearing the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust - responsible for the Littlemore Mental Health Centre - called the case 'distressing'.

A spokesperson said: "This is a distressing case and, as we do with all incidents of this nature, we carried out a thorough review into care and process at the time.

"This concluded the clinical team could not have predicted or prevented the violent incident in 2017 and that the care provided was proactive and responsive.

"Where an admission to hospital is considered appropriate a risk assessment is always carried out and people who are clinically assessed as high risk to themselves or others are prioritised.

"Though no specific delivery problems or contributory factors were found in this case, we continue to develop and improve our urgent care services to offer people care in a range of settings to best meet their needs, including inpatient services and Oxfordshire Safe Haven."