Man who attacked judge named

A man sentenced to almost three years in prison for injuring a judge at Milton Keynes District Court with a series of “relentless” blows to the head has been named as Greg Hazletine.

Previous coverage of the verdict this month, the defendant was not identified, presumably because Hazletine, 41, had participated in a family court proceeding. But his name appeared in an uncorrected transcript of Judgment comments published yesterday by the judiciary:

Sentencing at Southwark Crown Court on June 5, Judge Goss said magistrates in Milton Keynes had been dealing with a dispute between Hazletine and his former partner over his contact with their two children.

On July 13 last year, a hearing was held before Dharmesh Patel, a lawyer who was serving as a part-time judge. After Patel’s verdict, Hazletine began shouting and cursing at the clerk, causing him to fear reprisals.

Because of Hazletine’s behavior, the case was taken over by Patrick Perusko, the county’s chief family court judge. Judge Perusko ruled that future hearings should be held in the most secure courtroom in the building, with a security guard present.

On November 29, the judge issued a temporary restraining order barring Hazletine from attending his children’s school. Perusko left the courtroom twice because Hazletine was abusive and aggressive.

Goss summed up what happened next at the sentencing hearing this month. Addressing the defendant, Goss reminded Hazletine what he had done when Perusko stood up to leave the courtroom for the third time:

They took a laptop from a desk and a small freestanding electric heater, threw the heater across the courtroom toward the judge’s table, jumped onto the table and jumped over the judge’s barrier.

The judge ran out the courtroom door into his office and through two doors into Courtroom 1, where District Judge Nutley was working. You chased him and caught up with him as he passed District Judge Nutley and pushed him into the corner of the courtroom. He hit his head on the metal frame of a coat rack. You pinned him down with your body weight, your hand on his chest and neck, and struck him several times on the head.

District Judge Nutley described the beating as relentless. You said things like, “You just wanted to see your children, to say goodbye,” and that you knew you were going to prison for a long time, but you didn’t care and he deserved it.”

District Judge Nutley ordered you to move away from Judge Perusko, but was unable to get you away from him. You struck Judge Perusko with a clenched fist each time. Your face was bright red. You occasionally stopped hitting him to say something offensive or threatening, then started hitting him again.

He started talking to you and said that everything was fine. Your partner and the security guard had followed you and eventually found you. She begged you to stop. You ignored her and asked the judge to promise you that he would let you see the children. They tried to pull you away and eventually you let go so the judge could leave the room.

The police were called and you were arrested. When questioned, you admitted throwing the radiator, losing your temper with the judge and chasing him, but said you could not remember what happened when you caught him.

As a result of the attack, Judge Perusko suffered a 2cm x 2cm wound on the left side of his head, which was closed with staples and glue. He also had two wounds on the top of his head and one on his left cheek, as well as soft tissue swelling around his head. His vision was blurred, he felt dizzy, and his pulse and blood pressure were elevated.

In his testimony, given almost two weeks after the attack, he described being in great pain, especially in his back, and finding it difficult to stand up on his own…

He feared for his life when you attacked him and was worried about the consequences and a possible attack. He also feared for his safety…

Hazletine had already been convicted three times for assault. In 2008, he was sentenced to six months in prison for aggravated assault.

Last November, Hazletine admitted three offences relating to his conduct in Milton Keynes in July and November last year.

Hazletine was sentenced to 34 months in prison for assaulting Perusko.

He was sentenced to two months in prison for using threatening or abusive words or behaviour towards Patel with the intent to make him believe that unlawful violence would be used against him imminently or to provoke unlawful violence.

For deliberately damaging the radiator, he received a concurrent six-week prison sentence.

The total sentence was three years, of which Hazletine must serve a maximum of 18 months in prison, provided he does not violate the terms of his probation. A restraining order was also issued.

Hazletine, who ran his own business, learned from Goss:

You were out of control and have little insight into your behavior, the judge’s role, and the very frightening ordeal you put him through. He believes that you have problems controlling your emotions and temper, and that you try to solve problems through physical violence, acting impulsively and not realizing the potential harm.

It is clear that you have a close bond with your children, but have no idea how your behavior may have contributed to you restricting access to them.

In April, the most senior family judge in England and Wales spoke to the House of Commons Justice Committee said The incident in Milton Keynes has raised “major safety concerns” among family court judges.

Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division of the High Court, told the MPs:

The fact that it happened and the security was breached to a significant degree had an impact on the entire system – and on civil judges. I think the judges are thinking, “Well, that could have happened to me.”

The Chief Judge, the Presiding Judge and I have taken the issue extremely seriously. We are working to determine the consequences and what changes need to be made. The differences between the safeguards in a criminal court and those in a family court are quite striking. Domestic violence is often an issue there and – not often, but not unusual – some people become very agitated by what goes on there and lose control of their behavior. This can happen in any court.

I think the judges have serious concerns about whether we should continue to sit as we have in the current situation. So the jury is still out, so to speak.

When asked whether there had been an increase in such incidents, McFarlane replied:

Over time, if we measure it over decades. I don’t think any judge was surprised that something happened in a court of law, because unfortunately it happens. People were surprised at the extent to which this was known.

This was a person who had not behaved safely before and some precautions had been taken, but that did not protect the judge. Of course, the court staff and the lawyers in the courtroom are at risk.

On this occasion, no other party was in the room, but if they were, they would be vulnerable. It is something that is rightly taken very seriously.

A week ago it was announced that judge on Central Family Court would wear robes again for a three-month probationary period. “This follows concerns about incidents of violent and threatening behaviour experienced by judges and court users,” the court service said said.

As McFarlane explainedat this particular dish in High Holborn there was

a high number of knife confiscations at the door – not because people are deliberately trying to bring knives with them, but because there are people in the population carrying knives at all times.

The judges wanted to test whether the reintroduction of the robe would change the perception of court visitors regarding the seriousness of the court proceedings and the anonymity of the judge’s role.

General, McFarlane thought After a period of intensive care, family law is now in the “recovery phase”.