A Petersfield man who stabbed a 62-year-old in the neck has been sentenced to a Hospital Order.

Martin Copeland was deemed unfit to stand trial after being arrested and charged following the March 2024 stabbing on Cranford Road.

A trial of facts was held at Portsmouth Crown Court with the jury concluding that the 60-year-old Cranford Road had committed the act of stabbing a man.

The court heard that police found a man with a stab wound to his neck after being called to Cranford Road around 12.15pm on March 14 last year to reports of a serious assault.

The victim was subsequently taken by ambulance to hospital while Copeland was arrested and charged. The suspect was then hospitalised after being assessed by psychiatric experts.

Copeland appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court for a trial of facts in March to ascertain whether he had committed the act of wounding with intent.

Copeland was deemed unfit to stand trial due to mental ill health, so the jury were asked to determine what happened, rather than his guilt.

Following further assessments by psychiatric experts, Copeland appeared at the court last Friday (June 13).

He was sentenced to a Hospital Order with no limitation on time under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act 1983, with an additional Restriction Order under Section 41 of the act.