A heroin addict who jabbed a 12-year-old boy with a dirty needle today branded her young victim a liar.
Jacqueline O’Neil, a drug user of 11 years, had already admitted culpably and recklessly causing the youngster to be struck with the syringe but denied his version of events.
Though she was high at the time, having smoked heroin earlier that day, she called his recollections “totally fabricated”.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed O’Neil had been waving the uncapped needle at him in anger after he flushed a wrap containing an illegal substance down the toilet.
She, however, claimed he had picked up the needle and said she had been attempting to take it from him to protect him when he was stuck in error.
At Dundee Sheriff Court, O’Neil’s evidence was dismissed by Sheriff Lorna Drummond who found she was neither “credible nor reliable”.
In August, O’Neil, of Byron Crescent, pleaded guilty on indictment to a charge of culpable and reckless conduct on July 27 last year and a further charge of assault.
When it became clear that her version of events differed greatly from that presented by prosecutors, a proof hearing was called.
The court heard from witnesses including the complainer and accused.
Giving evidence through CCTV, the boy claimed he had turned up at O’Neil’s home in the company of another adult and had found her under the influence of drugs and surrounded by drug paraphernalia.
The boy said he had taken a wrap containing drugs and had flushed it down the toilet, despite efforts by the accused to slap it from his hand.
A needle was said to have been sitting on a pillowcase in the living room and when he returned to the room O’Neil was said to have picked it up and begun waving it at him in anger.
As she did so, it struck him on the hand.
The young witness said it had struck him to the extent that he had to pull it from his hand.
O’Neil claimed the boy had been holding the needle having been handed it by the other adult. She said she had attempted to take it from him to protect him.
O’Neil denied having seen him stuck with the needle and denied seeing him remove it from his hand.
She also rejected claims that she had attempted to stop the boy from flushing the drug packet, saying it was empty.
Asked whether the evidence given was therefore a lie, she said “Yes. It is a total fabrication”.
After a brief recess to consider the evidence, Sheriff Drummond said she had found the evidence of the complainer to be “detailed, clear and straightforward” and added that it was consistent with that of other witnesses.
“They denied the version of events put forward by Miss O’Neil,” the sheriff said.
“She had been taking heroin. I do not find her credible or reliable.”
The sheriff therefore accepted the version of events put forward by the witnesses and The Crown.
Sheriff Drummond said she needed reports before passing sentence as O’Neil had never been in prison before and had a limited record.
She warned O’Neil: “These are very serious matters, given the risk you put a 12-year-old boy to.”
Sentence was deferred until September 29.
Depute fiscal Saima Rasheed told the court the boy had been given the medical all-clear and had suffered no physical ill effects as a result of his ordeal.
