'I've done it. I've smashed her head in. Oppsie xx!': The NWAS worker who tried to murder her boss

A former ambulance service worker who tried to kill her boss in a brutal hammer attack texted a friend afterwards saying "I've smashed her head in. Oppsie xx!"

Stacey Smith, 46, "ambushed" her manager at North West Ambulance Service, Michala Morton, outside her home in Dukinfield, Tameside, after simmering resentment over her and her wife's shift patterns boiled over.

Smith showed a "significant degree of planning" by looking up Ms Morton's address online via her victim's husband's business, and then checking her rota to determine when she would be leaving for work, a court heard. She then attacked "unsuspecting and defenceless" Ms Morton "without warning", striking her repeatedly with the weapon.

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The first blow was aimed at her head and broke her wrist as she put up her hand to protect herself. She then struck numerous further blows to the head, arms, legs and torso as she lay stricken on the ground.

Smith eventually dropped the hammer in the street and drove off. Smith later sent text messages to a friend after the attack saying "I've done it. I've smashed her head in. Oppsie xx!” police revealed. She also said she would "go on the run" to Liverpool but instead came to her senses and handed herself into Ashton Police Station, where she was arrested.

A number of neighbours on her quiet street came out to help Ms Morton, giving her first aid and putting the hammer in a plastic bag ready to be forensically examined.

Ms Morton was taken to hospital and had to have her badly fractured wrist manipulated and also suffered a head injury, cuts and bruises. She has also been deeply psychologically affected, having since been diagnosed with anxiety and PTSD, the court was told.

Smith, of Ascot Road, Newton Heath, admitted causing GBH with intent, but denied attempted murder. However she was found guilty after a trial which concluded earlier this month.

She was today (October 29) handed a 20 year jail term of which she must serve at least two-thirds before she can be considered for parole, in addition to an extended licence period of five years.

That came after a judge ruled she was a "dangerous offender" who posed a risk of committing further offences.

'You have shown very little remorse'

Judge Hilary Manley told Smith as she sentenced her at Manchester Crown Court that she had "long held a grudge" and had "been building up to this." "This was a pre-mediated offence with planning," she said.

She said Smith had shown "very little remorse." "In fact it seems you feel you were justified in your actions, or at least driven to it," she said.

"You harboured feelings of resentment and you demonstrated no reservations about trying to inflict really serious violence on a completely defenceless person.

"Having observed you both during the trial and now, I am not confident you are remorseful. As a result, you have limited insight into the gravity of your actions.

"I am concerned that if you were to develop a grievance towards a person, or retain such feelings to towards your victim, you could act on those feelings."

Howard Bernstein, defending Smith, said: "It may be limited but there is some remorse. And there were guilty pleas. She has always accepted her involvement in this." The barrister said Smith had a "mental health history" which involved her being an psychiatric inpatient as recently as 2018.

She was also from a "difficult and extremely deprived background", Mr Bernstein said. "She was someone who had managed to get a job to which she was ably suited and which she loved. It was everything to her.

"She pulled herself up and obtained a job in which she had responsibilities and cared for people which was something she highly regarded. She accepts she has thrown that all away." Character references were submitted of Smith by her wife, former colleagues, and a prison officer.

Mr Bernstein said the fact Smith had no previous convictions and the "unique circumstances" of the case meant she should not be regarded as dangerous. But Judge Manley told her: "I am satisfied you present such a risk."

An indefinite restraining order was also put in place banning her from contacting Ms Morton.

Smith harboured 'resentment and hatred'

The attack came after Smith had harboured ‘resentment and hatred’ towards Ms Morton, an operations manager for NWAS.

Ms Morton began to manage Ms Smith, an ambulance care assistant, in 2017. She also managed Ms Smith’s wife, another NWAS worker. “On first impression, Ms Morton found Ms Smith to be a pleasant person, and even a potential friend. Their relationship deteriorated however around the time of Covid 19 and the pandemic," prosecutor Hayley Bennet said.

Ms Bennett claimed Smith and her wife’s inability to attend the funeral of a regular patient in July 2022 ‘fed the resentment’, after they were told they had to work so couldn’t make it. That evening, Smith began ‘abusing’ Ms Morton on Facebook and said ‘she would never let this go’, the jury heard.

Ms Morton was sent screenshots of the posts and reported them to NWAS. She asked that Smith and her wife be removed from her team, but the request was denied.

An investigation was launched and it was decided that Smith and her wife would be ‘separated’, and prevented from working together to ‘minimise the impact of their interviews’ on the service provided by NWAS. Smith was said to be ‘furious’ about the decision.

Ms Bennett said that ‘concerns arose’ surrounding Smith’s mental health, and ‘safeguarding action’ was taken so that she would be put on sick leave. A report by occupational health reported ‘no concerns’ regarding Smith’s mental health.

Smith and her wife remained absent from work for six months, and when they returned they re-joined Ms Morton’s team. Ms Morton again asked for them to be removed from her team, but the request was denied. In November last year, Smith went away on a trip to Cumbria with other NWAS staff including her wife.

After they returned, Smith’s wife told her that ‘she could not cope with Ms Morton anymore’ and said she was ‘going to end her own life’. Smith called a friend and told her what her wife had said. Smith was said to have told her that ‘she could not have this’, and ‘blamed Ms Morton’.

Smith raised a complaint with NWAS and said ‘she felt that she and her wife were being targeted’. Ms Morton declined to speak with her due to the ongoing issues. Smith was due to be spoken to by NWAS’ HR department. But days before that, she turned up at Ms Morton’s home and attacked her.

Smith called a friend from the scene, telling her that she was outside Ms Morton’s home and ‘couldn’t take it anymore’. Smith then 'pounced' as Ms Morton left for work, at about 5.30am on November 11.

Following the case, Detective Constable Stephen McNee of GMP’s Tameside Criminal Investigation Department, said: “This was a particularly violent attack on the victim which left her with serious and life-changing injuries.

"Physically injuries may heal but the mental trauma of the attack will stay with the victim for life. I’d like to thank her for her bravery in supporting us with our investigation.

"I’d also like to thank the local residents who came to the victim’s aid on the morning of the attack, they ensured initial first aid was given to the victim before emergency services arrived and also made sure that the hammer was covered in a plastic bag to maximise the forensic evidence we could take.

“We are pleased with today’s result, which has seen a violent woman taken off the streets and we hope that this goes some way to helping the victim to come to terms with what has happened to her and allows her to heal.

“As a Force, we are committed to locating, identifying and charging individuals who commit violent attacks such as this in Greater Manchester and we do everything in our power to investigate these incidents and bring those responsible to justice."

It is understood that Smith left NWAS in November last year before the trial. Following her conviction, a spokesperson for the service said: "We share the relief with Michala over the verdict delivered by the jury. The last year has been incredibly difficult for her, and we hope this will mark a milestone in her ongoing recovery.

“An independent review into the disputes which escalated to the terrible attack has given a number of recommendations to the trust. However, we could not have predicted the level of the violence that it reached, which fortunately did not see Michala more seriously injured."