Paul Campbell, aged 34, was declared ‘dangerous’ and jailed for seven years
Paul Campbell(Image: West Midlands Police)
A ‘dangerous’ robber’s final weeks in prison led to him going on a violent rampage in Birmingham city centre within days of being released.
Paul Campbell, aged 34, was jailed for seven years for car-jacking two Fiestas, trying to steal a moped and attacking two further vehicles with bricks.
West Midlands Police has now released his custody photo.
READ MORE: Teen accused of murdering 12-year-old Leo Ross back in court
As he was sentenced last month Birmingham Crown Court heard that his crime spree was sparked by a rapid decline in his mental health following his release from HMP Featherstone in Staffordshire on October 4.
His barrister Holly Kilbey explained he had been detoxing from methadone, a medicine used to treat heroin, while in custody.
She said: “While in the process of detoxing he became involved in an altercation with an officer at Featherstone prison which resulted in him being put in isolation.
“While there his treatment was exceptionally poor. He was only allowed one meal a day as opposed to the standard two.
“He was only allowed to shower twice during the three-week period he was there.
“Shortly after his release from isolation he was released from Featherstone.
“The effect of isolation caused his mental health to deteriorate rapidly.”
HMP Featherstone in Staffordshire(Image: Birmingham Mail)
Ms Kilbey stated Campbell had not been given his medication for Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) while in isolation which has a calming effect on him.
She added he was released from prison ‘unmedicated’, without a date for his drug rehabilitation appointment or without support to find accommodation.
Ms Kilbey went on: “As such his mental health declines even further in the two days after release.
“When committing the offences he accepts he has a full memory of doing so.
“He did so under the belief his life was in danger. He can’t explain why he thought that.”
Following his release on October 4 Campbell was actually arrested again for undisclosed reasons before he went on to commit his crime spree on October 7.
He robbed a woman of her Ford Fiesta on the Lancaster Circus roundabout in Birmingham city centre after flagging her down and screaming ‘stop the f****** car’.
Campbell assaulted the victim and pulled out chunks of her hair in the process of stealing the vehicle, which he abandoned shortly afterwards having collided into a kerb.
Next, he attacked a moped rider at a set of traffic lights on the Aston Expressway and punched him to the ground.
Paul Campbell(Image: West Midlands Police)
Campbell shouted ‘m***** f***** I will kill anybody I can do anything’ but ultimately fled empty-handed.
Either shortly before or after that incident he struck an ambulance with a brick on Newtown Middleway.
Campbell then returned to Lancaster Circus where he again targeted a Ford Fiesta.
He smashed the window with a rock and assaulted the driver who ran off.
Campbell drove away but crashed the Fiesta into a set of railings on Dartmouth Middleway.
His final act before being arrested was to smash the window of another moving car with a brick and gas canister.
Campbell had committed 39 previous offences including wounding with intent, assaults and burglary.
He was jailed for three years in 2021 for controlling and coercive behaviour, serving most of the sentence in custody before being recalled.
For his October 7 crime spree he pleaded guilty to two offences of robbery, one count of assault with intent to rob, two charges of criminal damage and an offence of dangerous driving.
He was sentenced to seven years with an extended licence period of three years at Birmingham Crown Court on March 27 this year, as well as banned from driving for seven years and eight months.
Recorder Michael Stephens said: “You conducted a campaign of criminal behaviour that caused immense distress and injury to those affected as well as wanton damage to property and risk to other road users.
“Whatever your troubled background, you were able to and will bear responsibility for what occurred.”
The judge acknowledged Campbell had met ‘significant milestones’ by remaining clean of drugs since his return to custody on remand.