'Now I can begin a new chapter in my life': Blinded Staffordshire Police sergeant speaks of moment he was shot in the eye
"Had it hit me anywhere else I wouldn't have had to even have the night off work."
A former policeman's life was changed forever when he was shot in the face with a paintball gun by a schizophrenic more than a year ago which caused him to lose an eye.
As a result Sergeant Jon King, from Cannock, was forced to retire from Staffordshire Police but now the 49-year-old said he can finally start a 'new chapter' in his life now that the man responsible has been sentenced to a hospital order and will be kept away from the public.
On Sunday, October 19, 2014 Mr King had been called to a property at Wat Tyler Close in Rugeley after concerns were raised about the welfare of mental health patient Matthew Tearle.
He told the Express & Star: "It was a callout to a mental health patient in a flat who was having some sort of psychiatric episode.
"The ambulance staff thought that he was harming himself and got a warrant.
"Unfortunately he wouldn't answer the door so we had to smash through.
"He was firing solid rubber shots at us. I was the first one in and got hit in the eye."
There and then the life of the father-of-four would never be the same.
He had to retire from the force and has since had an operation to have a prosthetic eye.
"I have had to give up the job that I love," he said.
"Unfortunately it's just how it happened. Had it hit me anywhere else I wouldn't have had to even have the night off work. But it just smashed my eyeball.
"It has had quite a significant impact. I have got a seven-year-old son and it has taken some time for him to get over it really.
"So has my wife.
"It has affected my whole family."
On Wednesday at a hearing held at Stafford Crown Court Judge Mark Eades handed Tearle a hospital order under section 37 of the Mental Health Act.
The 35-year-old of no fixed address was deemed unfit to attend the hearing having been diagnosed with schizophrenia and Asperger's syndrome.
Mr King said the sentence was the 'result he wanted' but added he felt nothing against Tearle.
"He didn't know what he was doing. I don't hold him accountable." he said.
Now the former sergeant can begin to move on from the ordeal.
He said: "It happened in October 2014 and it has just taken this long to get it all sorted out.
"This opens a new chapter for me to be able to move on now.
"I have just got to decide what I want to do.
"I am interested in going into the media. I do a bit of radio DJing and I do fancy going into something like that. I have not really sat down and had a look."
In the meantime he does have something to turn to his attention to which will be to collect a High Sheriff of Staffordshire honour awarded to him and former colleagues Inspector Kevin Mulligan, PC Steven Davenport and Special Constable Sydney Cooper which Judge Eades bestowed on them in recognition of their efforts to help Mr Tearle.
Mr King added: "It is really nice. I don't think are given out willy nilly. The judge said he didn't think it was enough.
It is fantastic and we are honoured."
It is not the first time Mr King has received special recognition for his services.
Last year he received a Certificate of Commendation from the fire service after he stopped at the scene of a fatal road collision on the M6 near Cannock where, despite being off-duty, he stopped in the middle lane of the motorway to divert drivers passed the crash via a slip road.
He also comforted 65-year-old John Kamelski who was driving a Mercedes involved in the collision with the HGV until fire crews arrived and extricated him from the car.
Sadly he died in hospital the next day.
