A man serving a life sentence for throwing a six-year-old boy from the Tate Modern's viewing platform has been given an additional jail term for assaulting two nurses at the high-security Broadmoor Hospital.
Violent Assault on Care Staff
Jonty Bravery, 24, was found guilty of two counts of assault against nurses Linda McKinlay and Kate Mastalerz at Westminster Magistrates' Court. The attacks occurred in September 2024 when staff intervened to stop Bravery from climbing onto a ledge with the intent of harming himself.
The court heard that Bravery, who requires constant supervision by three staff members, kicked Ms Mastalerz in the thigh and clawed at Ms McKinlay's face, causing a wound that bled down her cheek. Ms McKinlay, a grandmother, stated this was the first such attack she had experienced in her long career at Broadmoor.
A History of Violence and Previous Sentencing
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring, sentencing Bravery on Thursday, noted that the assaults were targeted at those tasked with his care. Bravery received a 16-week sentence, to run concurrently with his existing minimum 15-year term.
This is not his first violent incident within the psychiatric system. In 2020, he was handed a 14-week sentence after admitting to assaulting Broadmoor staff, including punching nursing assistant Sarah Edwards and biting rehabilitation therapist assistant Maxwell King.
Bravery, who is autistic, is currently detained at Broadmoor Hospital in Berkshire. He refused to appear via video link for the latest hearing.
Background: The Tate Modern Attack
Bravery was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 15 years for the horrific August 2019 attack at the London gallery. He threw a young French boy from the 10th-floor viewing platform, a fall of approximately 100 feet (30 metres).
The child survived the fall but sustained life-changing injuries, including a brain bleed and multiple fractures. Bravery is currently seeking to move from prison to a hospital setting via an appeal to the Court of Appeal.
The latest conviction underscores ongoing challenges in managing high-risk patients within secure psychiatric facilities, even those with the most stringent security protocols like Broadmoor.
