60-year-old Michael Lee Orton has escaped going to jail and has instead been handed a 2-year supervision order – despite slashing his wife’s throat and killing the family dog at their home in Binstead last June.
A 3-day fact-finding hearing held at Salisbury Crown Court last month saw a jury unanimously conclude that Michael Orton – commonly known as Lee – committed the act of attempted murder and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Usually, a trial would determine a guilty or not guilty verdict but it was decided at an earlier hearing that Orton was unfit to stand due to suffering a neurological defect. Orton is now wheelchair-bound and unable to look after himself after suffering a stroke as a result of him slashing his own throat inside his home on Newnham Road in Binstead.
Today, Orton appeared at the Isle of Wight Crown Court to receive his sentence from Judge Timothy Mousley, who handed him a 2-year community supervision order.
As previously reported by Island Echo, it was on 20th June last year that the self-employed plumbing and heating engineer suddenly turned on his wife of 33 years and their Akita dog, Kora.
At 11:06, Helen Orton ran from her house wearing a white frilly top – which was rapidly changing to bright red as blood poured from multiple slash wounds inflicted by her husband.
She flagged down a Morrisons delivery van which was being driven past her home by Mr Ryan Beere. As he pulled over to help her, he crashed into another vehicle. Mrs Orton repeatedly pulled on the van’s door handle as he parked up and moments later, Mr Beere flagged down a Jewson lorry driver for further assistance as he called 999.
Emergency services arrived at the scene a short time before Armed police officers – 1 carrying a rifle and the other carrying a less-lethal baton gun – made their way into the property. Orton didn’t open the front door as ordered so officers made their way to the back of the property.
In the garden, they found an Akita named Kora, the family dog, with a large knife wound to the neck. She was, at that time, unconscious but breathing.
As they entered the back door of the property, hundreds of droplets of blood were found across the kitchen floor and a basin in a downstairs bathroom was covered in splatter. The court heard Orton had hit an artery in his neck with a kitchen knife.
The officers pointed their firearms upstairs – to a converted attic which was the couple’s living room – and shouted “armed police”. Mr Orton emerged at the top of the stairs holding a kitchen knife. “Drop the f**king knife”, the officers shouted towards him. Moments later, he collapsed to the floor.
He was handcuffed before officers started life-saving first aid ahead of paramedics’ arrival. Mr Orton had sliced an artery and suffered ‘catastrophic blood loss’, bleeding out on the floor of his marital home. He required a blood transfusion at hospital, and it was later apparent that he had suffered a right-sided stroke – which resulted in a loss of mental capacity.
Lee Orton spent some 4 months in hospital before being released and put before the Magistrates Court.
Mrs Orton suffered multiple knife wounds in the attack, including a large slash wound to her throat, a deep slash wound to her jaw described as being ‘well into subcutaneous fat’, several less serious wounds to her head and face and bruising to her back. Whilst attacking his wife, Orton had said “why don’t you die”.
Despite this, Helen Orton has stood by her husband since the incident, visiting him in hospital daily and withdrawing a statement she provided to the police investigating the attack. She went to collect her husband from prison when he was released on bail, moments before the fact-finding hearing began in April.
They returned home to the Isle of Wight, together, to the same house where the attempted murder took place.
The case was adjourned to the Isle of Wight Crown Court today (Friday) for a decision to be made on Orton’s future.
Judge Timothy Mousley KC previously stated that Lee Orton would not face a hospital order because court experts confirmed he does not require mental health treatment. Taking this into account, and ruling out an absolute discharge, Michael Lee Orton was handed a 2-year community supervision order.
Additional reporting by Daniel Jae Webb/SWNS
Dear god, how did he not get a custodial sentence for that.
Laughable considering there is a knife amnesty at the moment what sort of message does that give.
Seems mainland judges are are as wishy washy as on the Island, what world are my grandchildren inheriting?
You don’t them or the full story, so don’t judge.
Sorry, but knife crime is knife crime and should be dealt as knife crime.. attempted murder is another crime, so both those two crimes are what he should have been charged with.. let alone the animal cruelty.
None of us know the full story, however the more that comes to light the more questions come to mind. Every one seems a looser in this situation, not least the poor animal that lost it’s life.
What the future brings must be questionable, returning to the same house can only cause more pressure to all concerned including neighbours, a very unfortunate set of circumstances.
“a very unfortunate set of circumstances”
Wow, that is some understatement. On a rampage with a knife, attacking his wife, dog and himself can hardly be called “unfortunate”. I don’t think luck played a great part in this crazed episode.
I find it amazing that he is back with his wife who he tried to kill. Bet he’ll be eating his meals with apprehension.
Spot on, I thought that the first time I read this, he might have to sleep with one eye open.
And only plastic cutlery ?
Kev and his stupid comments again
Justice System is no longer fit for purpose.
Inconsistent.
Time wasting.
Money making for the already privileged.
Just ridicules.
How has this man not been jailed! The system is screwed
The Lord works in mysterious ways!
I think she needs a mental assessment for taking him back!
I would have given him 5 years just for killing the dog. How on earth the court thinks it’s ok to release him with no real punishment is beyond me. If he attacks again, the person who released him should be equally criminally liable for the same offence. Meanwhile shoplifters get sent to prison. You couldn’t make this up.
Are you high Dave? Some silly comment you have posted.
So he gets away with attempted murder on his wife and the cruel murder of an innocent animal because he suffered a stroke by trying to take his own life??? What a joke
just when you thought the justice system couldn’t get any more circus like.