Man imprisoned for throwing radiator at judge

A man has been jailed after throwing a radiator at a judge in court in a "relentless" assault. His Honour Judge Patrick Perusko was "pinned down" and repeatedly punched in the head after a father-of-two "vaulted" the judicial barriers.

In a case that raises significant concerns about the safety of judges, the 41-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, left Judge Perusko with multiple injuries, including two wounds to the top of his head.

A national broadsheet paper revealed that there had been concerns for some time about the security arrangements in the court.

"Every blow you delivered was with a clenched fist. Your face was bright red," said Mr. Justice Goss during sentencing, likening the attack to assaults on doctors working in hospitals and emphasizing that the courts cannot function when judges are attacked. The defendant, who was "bright red" with anger as he carried out the attack, was jailed for three years at Southwark Crown Court yesterday for the assault and a separate incident where he verbally abused Recorder Dharmesh Patel.

During yesterday's hearing, the court heard that the businessman had been in and out of the family courts over disputes with the mother of his children. Tessa Donovan, prosecuting, explained that during the first incident, the man took "umbrage" with a decision by Recorder Patel in July 2023. At the end of the hearing, he "got physically agitated" with the judge and was more "animated and aggressive in his tone and language".

The court heard the case was moved to the "largest and safest" courtroom with a security officer present during a hearing before Judge Perusko. At another hearing in November last year, Judge Perusko was forced to leave the court twice amid verbal abuse.

Ms. Donovan said that when the judge returned for a third time and again decided to leave, the defendant "picked up a laptop on the desk as well as an electric radiator". "The defendant pursued His Honour and caught up with him as he moved past District Judge Nutley [in the court offices]. The defendant pushed the judge to the corner of his room. He pinned him down and punched him several times in the head."

The assault continued while the defendant shouted, "I know I'm going to prison for a long time, but I don't care, you deserve it," as the judge desperately told him to calm down. The attack finally ended after his partner and security managed to persuade him to stop, and he was later arrested.

Ms. Donovan noted: "His Honour was working not just in the public service but in an important judicial role. This is a position that ought to be considered with some deference."

During submissions, Mr. Justice Goss emphasized that the attack was a serious assault on the judiciary. He said, "The courts cannot function with litigants misbehaving and being aggressive, and more so pursuing and attacking judges, however disappointed and angry they feel about the decision." He later added, "It's like assaulting a doctor in a hospital."

A spokesman said yesterday: "This event was shocking, and we have remained in contact with the judge throughout the internal investigation and the ongoing court case. While incidents like this are rare, we take the safety of our judges and court staff very seriously. An investigation into the incident has been completed, and all the recommendations are being implemented."

One witness said: "If that had been in a Crown Court, it never would have happened; it's secure. In family courts, you can still have violent people in highly charged contested hearings, and yet they can walk into a room and punch a judge, and there is nobody to stop them."

When approached, the defendant's current partner said he was a "nice man" and claimed it was "nonsense" that he had aimed the radiator at the judge. She added: "It is nonsense, I witnessed the whole thing. So I can tell you it's nonsense."

A family dispute is ongoing at the High Court.