A brawler who slashed a man's arm in the street has been ordered to be detained indefinitely in a psychiatric hospital.

Shaun Packer swung a Stanley knife at Damion Lewis during a bust up in Invicta Road, Sheerness, on June 26 last year.

The bicep wound - a "large, deep laceration" - needed 11 stitches.

Packer, of Victoria Street, Sheerness, had claimed he had acted in self-defence, prosecutor Oliver Kirk told Maidstone Crown Court.

Officers were concerned about Packer's mental health after he made bizarre allegations against his partner.

At the time the 56-year-old was under investigation by Kent Police in respect of drug offences committed eight months earlier.

Judge Philip Statman heard his 14 previous convictions for 38 offences include wounding with intent in 2000, for which he was jailed for four years, supplying drugs in 2005 and 2010, and battery in 2018.

The 2005 offence related to supplying heroin to his son Danny the day before he was involved in a fatal crash.

After his arrest and remand in custody for the stabbing of Mr Lewis, Packer was transferred from prison to the Trevor Gibbens Psychiatric Unit in Maidstone.

At his sentencing hearing, a psychiatrist told Judge Philip Statman that Packer had "partially responded" to treatment but continued to have delusional beliefs and limited insight into his offending.

He pleaded guilty to wounding, possessing a bladed article and two drug supply offences.

Judge Statman ordered that Packer be detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act.

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