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Father admits shooting himself with nail gun to claim compensation for 'hoodie attack'
Last updated at 15:22pm on 04.10.07
Expensive fake: Doctors performed an hour-long op to remove nails from David's body
Telephone engineer David Russell, 38, was left with five two-inch nails stuck in his ribcage - one an inch from his heart - and two more buried in his forearm.
He told police at his hospital bedside that a gang of three yobs had attacked him and demanded "these people must be caught and punished".
But in a bizarre turnaround he has admitted he faked the "attack" - then pleaded guilty to a similar hoax three years ago.
Judge Jamie Tabor, sitting at Gloucester Crown Court, warned Russell he was facing jail. He asked for him to be assessed by a psychiatrist before he was sentenced.
Judge Tabor said: "There are some complex issues here.
"This is a very serious offence and he is in danger of losing his liberty. I think Mr Russell is going to need psychiatric assistance."
Russell claimed the fictional 'attack' took place at 7.40pm on August 12 on Sinope Street, in Gloucester, Glos., as he walked to a cashpoint at an Asda store near his home.
David was nearly killed as one nail came within 1cm of piercing his diaphragm and another was just an inch from his heart.
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Painful lengths: The nails entered David's forearm with such force that the tips were bent as they hit the bone
He left himself in crippling pain with his bloody t-shirt pinned into his body by the nails, which doctors later spent an hour removing.
Police used forensic techniques to examine the scene, scrutinised CCTV and interviewed witnessed.
Two men were even arrested and questioned by police before being released without charge.
But Russell had staged the whole 'attack' himself - hoping to cash in on compensation from the Criminal Injuries Board.
He had just lost his job and was under financial pressure to support his partner, who was on maternity leave.
Russell had moved to the area 16 months earlier from Streatham, south London, to live with girlfriend Hayley Dyer, 28, her daughter Chloe, and their four-month-old boy Jed.
He claimed the gang, which he described as two black youths and a mixed race man all aged in their late teens to early 20s, grabbed him from behind.
Russell told how the mixed race man "with a black and white bandana" pushed a 10-inch long orange and black nail gun against his chest and repeatedly fired it.
David said he stumbled backwards and swung for his assailant in self-defence - when he claimed two more nails were blasted into his arm.
Faker David even went as far as saying he tried to run after them before realising how severe his injuries were and calling 999 on his mobile.
By the time he had staggered the 70 yards back to his home on Widden Street after the incident, the ambulance and police had already arrived.
He was rushed to Gloucester Royal Hospital, where doctors performed an hour-long operation to remove the nails the following day.
The nails hit his forearm with such force that the tips were bent as they hit the bone.
Russell spoke to reporters at the time from his hospital bed where he went into detail about the fabricated offence.
He said: "This was like some kind of sick joke for these kids. I tried to run after them but it felt like someone had split my chest open and I could barely breathe.
"It all happened so quickly I didn't even realise what they had actually done to me at first. To think about it now makes me shudder - I'm lucky to be alive.
"These people must be caught and punished. It could have been my wife with our baby or anyone else innocently minding their own business.
"I moved away from London to be away from all the violence and the gangs. But this just shows no where is really safe anymore. I'm deeply shocked."
Russell pleaded guilty to a charge of perverting the course of justice in a faked nail gun attack between August and September this year.
He also pleaded guilty to another charge involving a faked nailgun attack between March 2004 and March 2006 in Bristol.
In that 'attack' he claimed three men pounced on him leaving serious injuries to his abdomen and legs. He was awarded £4,175 compensation by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.
Russell, who also admitted one unrelated charge of fraud by claiming on a job form that he had served in the Royal Marines for 18 years, was bailed to return to court for sentence on November 14.
Reader views (3)
Sounds like classic Munchausen syndrome.
- Terry Roll, London
Rather than jailing this unfortunate man, his creative talents should be put to good use.
Tony Blair had an army of sycophants to spin stories for him (e.g. "weapons of mass destruction ready in 45 minutes"), and Gordon Brown might need a hand with similar work in the next few weeks.
- Austen, London
I hope the NHS, Ambulance Servce and police all invoice him for their time and services. That might make him think again about pulling a similar stunt.
- We, Kent
