A mental health nurse has told how she almost died when a hospital patient tried to murder her - by strangling her with the drawstring from his HOODIE.



Kieffer Sutton, 25, throttled mum-of-three Kazeema Asfal, 37, until she blacked out at Heath Lane Hospital, in West Bromwich, West Mids.

She described how he told her 'It'll be fun seeing you die you, you b***h. It's time for you to suffer your death"

before other members of staff came to her rescue.

Sutton was given a life sentence with a minimum 13 years term on Thursday (23/5) after being found guilty of attempted murder at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

The court heard he had a shocking previous record of violently attacking nurses, hospital patients and members of the public over a 10 year period.

Sutton - who was born a woman but now identifies as a man - had committed 46 counts of actual or threatened violence, almost all of which were carried out on members of healthcare staff.

But Kazeema said she was not made aware of Sutton's background who had been on the unit for a year before he tried to strangle her on July 2 last year.



He had pretended to need the toilet to get her alone before wrapping the cord around her neck and tightening his grip.

Recalling the horror attack, Kazeema, of Walsall, West Mids., said: "I tried to fight back but I just felt my soul leave my body and I just thought 'this is it'."

"I blacked out so I don't remember anything afterwards. "

"I'm still on medication now. I've gone back to work as I wanted to face my fears." "

She said she "could not believe her ears" when she heard in court how many other people he had attacked."

She added: "It shocked me. It made quiet emotional as so many people out there have been hurt by this person."

"I just could not believe what I was hearing. We had not been warned how violent the patient was. I still hear his voice laughing at me as he strangled me."

"He knew every trick in the book, he had been in the unit over a year when it is only meant to be temporary."

"We were told he had a personality disorder but nothing about how dangerous he was. "

"He has to be observed by two nurses at all times because he is a danger to himself, but we were not told how many people he had attacked before."

Since the incident Kazeema says it took her months to return to work despite loving her job.

She said: "It ruined my life, I loved my job before he tried to kill me. I still have not had the confidence to do a night shift on my own."

The nurse had worked for 17 years at Walsall Manor Hospital before her sister, also a nurse, died during Covid.

She said: "There were just so many memories at the hospital, so I felt I needed to do something else. "

"So when I got the job as a senior support worker at the unit in West Brom it was great."

"But now when I go into work I am scared I will be attacked, I know how close I was to dying."

Kazeema is now campaigning for tougher sentences for people who attack emergency workers.

She added: "I am so glad I went through with giving evidence and everything that entailed because I feel I did it for his other victims too."

"My husband has been such a support over this last year, and always gives me confidence."

"Some days I think the only way to forget what happened to me is to leave the country, and he sometimes agrees with me."

"The police were great too, and I am glad I helped get my attacker a proper sentence so other nurses will be safe in the future."

The court heard how Sutton, previously of Newport Pagnell,

Bucks, had punched, headbutted, stamped on and attacked nurses in hospitals and prisons across the Midlands.

Judge Simon Ward branded Sutton "manipulative" and "unable to change" his violent behaviour so insisted only a life sentence would do, which would mean strict conditions after release from jail."

He said: "You are a manipulative individual. I have seen this side of you during proceedings in this court. "

"I believe you engineered the situation to be alone with the victim to attack her."

"Mrs Asfal has said the attack has ruined her life. I do not believe you will change. You cannot change your personality. "

"I have to protect the public, if I were to sentence you to 25 plus years, after you have completed 14 years you will be released into the public without strict enough conditions."

"I think you will still pose a danger to those you come into contact with. This is why I am giving you a life sentence, you have spent nearly a year on remand. "

"So I would have said the earliest you can be released was 14 years, but it is now 13 years."

"But, because you have a life sentence you will have to adhere to the strict conditions on your release and if you do commit other offences you will be returned to prison."

Prosecutor James Dunstal revealed in court how Sutton had previously used threats and violence in 46 incidents.

He said: "The defendant previously grabbed a nurse around the neck with both hands, and squeezed so hard she struggled to breath, he then let go and kicked her in the shins. "

"Another time there was a battery matter when the defendant punched a nurse twice in the arm, and also headbutting a nurse in the nose."

"Then there was affray, when the defendant barged into the victim's office, grabbed a pair of scissors, threatened them whilst holding the scissors and saying "I am going to slit your throat, I want you to beg for your life."

"The list goes on, altogether there are 46 incidents involving the defendant using violence and threatening behaviour."

Despite his male identification, Sutton is being held in a women's prison.