Nicholas Courtney

Nicholas Courtney, aged 46, who suffers from poor mental health and epilepsy, was homeless at the time of the incident. He had a psychotic breakdown at Darts Farm near Topsham, Exeter, where he began talking gibberish and rampaged around with two large knives grabbed from the kitchen.

Courtney followed one staff member to the butchery area, but was stopped when a heroic worker threw a Yeti cool box at him. He cannot remember what happened during the episode. As a known sex offender, this violent outburst added to his criminal record.

At Exeter Crown Court in October 2025, Courtney was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his actions. The incident highlighted the dangers faced by retail workers and the impact of mental health issues on criminal behaviour, as reported by Devon Live.