CRAZED knifeman attacked a hospital psychiatrist with a blade he bought in a Kent city centre shop.

Paranoid schizophrenic Scott Waters slashed at a consultant at St Martin's Hospital, Canterbury, because he thought staff were trying to kill him with injections.

He had bought a folding knife in an army surplus store in the city shortly before the attack.

Canterbury Crown Court heard that police equipped with shields and pepper spray were called to subdue Waters.

The 26-year-old had denied wounding Dr John Vile and nurse Peter Perry. Mr Perry suffered a slash wound to his thumb and Dr Vile was wounded in his left hand, thigh and head. Both needed hospital treatment.

A jury found him guilty of the attack on Dr Vile, but not guilty of wounding Mr Perry.

Waters, who was surrounded by four psychiatric staff throughout the trial, will be sentenced next month.

He had been detained at the hospital since January last year, under Section 3 of the Mental Health Act.

* See the Kentish Gazette (Thursday, August 23) for the full story.