A police officer was left with a broken cheekbone following a violent outburst by a hospital patient.
Glen McNicol was left enraged after being informed of a failed drug-screening test, before police were called to move him to another unit.
Stirling Sheriff Court was told how McNicol lunged towards a nursing assistant and tried to bite his ear at Bellsdyke Hospital, a mental health service in Larbert.
McNicol had been subject to a compulsory treatment order at the hospital after being diagnosed with schizophrenia.
However, a doctor later determined that the 27-year-old was not currently suffering from any form of mental illness and was in control of his reactions.
Attacked hospital staff
Prosecutor James Moncrieff told the court how the incident occurred just after 9.30am on September 24 last year.
He said: “The accused was angry at the results of the test and ran towards the witnesses stating ‘I am f***ing getting out of here’.
“The accused charged towards them.
“One of the witnesses held onto the accused’s shoulders.
“The accused punched the witness, bursting his upper lip.
“He tried to bite the left ear of the witness but he managed to duck out of the way.”
McNicol was restrained and engaged in conversation for around 45 minutes.
Bullet and blade threats
Police were contacted in an effort to transport McNicol to another psychiatric unit and he became aggressive again.
Mr Moncrieff said: “The accused charged towards them and shoulder barged an officer and he was slammed against a wall.
“He punched him on the face bursting his lip.
“Officers took hold of the accused.
“The accused said ‘I will have a blade next time.
“I’ll put a bullet in your head.’”
The punched PC suffered a broken right cheekbone in the disturbance.
Appearing via video link, McNicol, a prisoner at HMP Low Moss around whom there are no ongoing mental illness concerns, pled guilty to the assaults and was jailed for 24 months by Sheriff Derek Hamilton.
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