A violent thug threatened to blow up Ninewells Hospital after doctors refused to let him have a cigarette.
Craig Lettice, who has 18 criminal convictions, was being restrained by police when he made the shock remark.
The 39-year-old had been brought to the Dundee hospital after he brutally assaulted his ex-partner in the city’s Provost Road.
Perth Sheriff Court heard her teenage son ran to her defence and pushed Lettice into a garden.
There, he staggered backwards into a washing line pole and dislocated his shoulder.
Lettice, of Pitairlie Road, appeared in the dock and admitted assaulting his ex on December 17, 2020, by punching her on the head, seizing her by the hair and brandishing a bottle.
He further admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner at Ninewells, where he spat across the room and threatened to blow up the hospital.
Lettice also pled guilty to two charges of assaulting police officers by attempting to spit on them.
He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced in September.
‘Drunk and agitated’
Fiscal depute Marie Lyons said Lettice and his ex-partner had known each other since primary school and were in a relationship for about three years.
He sent her a series of texts, suggesting they should get back together.
At around 4.50pm, he told her he was on his way to her house.
“She did not believe he would actually attend,” said Ms Lyons.
At 8.30pm, the ex-partner left home to go shopping with the teenager.
“On exiting the common close, they saw the accused at the end of the garden path,” the fiscal depute told the court.
“He started to walk towards them.
“He appeared drunk and agitated so the mother and son made their way back into the common close.”
Ms Lyons said: “The accused followed them inside, took off his backpack and opened it.
“He stood in front of them, with his back to the door. They tried to walk past to leave.”
The court heard Lettice then punched his ex-girlfriend in the face.
“She staggered backwards and tried to fend off the accused without success.
“He then grabbed her to the right side of her head, by her hair and ear, and tried to pull her back towards the garden at the rear of the building.
“Eventually, the accused took a bottle from his bag and raised it over his shoulder.
“Both witnesses thought he was going to swing or throw it at the complainer.
“Due to this, the son – who was 17 at the time – ran towards the accused and pushed him backwards in order to protect himself and his mother.
“The accused staggered back into the garden and the son closed the door after him.
“Outside, he fell against a washing line pole.”
Ms Lyons said: “The complainer went to call the police.
“However she heard the accused – through an open window – already on the phone to them.”
Only concerned about smoking
About 10 minutes later officers arrived and woman’s son told them Lettice was walking down Provost Road.
He was visibly injured when they caught up with him and he was taken to Ninewells by ambulance.
“During the whole time within the hospital, the accused was aggressive and all he was concerned about was having a cigarette,” said Ms Lyons.
“A doctor attempted a number of times to calm the accused down for an assessment to be made.
“However, the accused kept talking about wanting a cigarette.”
‘I’m going to blow this place’
Police called for back-up and two other officers attended just after 10.30pm.
One constable restrained Lettice by holding his left arm behind his back, leaving his other arm free due to the shoulder injury.
Ms Lyons said: “The accused made a threat similar to: ‘I’m going to blow this place.’
“From the accused’s behaviour, all of the constables took this to be a threat to blow up the hospital.”
Lettice continued to rant and make threats.
He used a homophobic F-word slur against two officers and had a spit hood attached after he spat across the room.
Despite wearing the hood, he tried to spit at two police constables.
Sheriff William Wood deferred sentence for background reports and rejected solicitor Billy Somerville’s plea for bail.
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