A hepatitis suffering thug who deliberately wiped infected blood on the face of a police officer then spat on a prosecutor when he appeared in court has been jailed for five years.
Vile Scott Townsley told cops he “had the virus” and “was going to infect them all” when he launched the attack at the Wickes store in Perth’s St Catherines Retail Park.
Townsley wiped blood on the face of one cop and scratched another – causing him to require repeated blood tests to check for infection, the results of which are still not known.
When he appeared in court the next day the sick thug spat at the procurator fiscal depute who had asked for the career crook – who has a lengthy record for theft, housebreaking and breaching court orders – be remanded in custody.
He spat more than ten feet across courtroom four at Perth Sheriff Court, bringing proceedings to a halt and closing the courtroom until it underwent a deep clean.
More significantly, the female prosecutor involved, the mum of a young child, was left with an anxious wait to see if she had been infected.
Fiscal depute Saima Rasheed told Dundee Sheriff Court that following the attack on the officer Townsley was taken into custody and appeared at Perth Sheriff Court.
She said: “The procurator fiscal depute, Rebecca Kynaston, opposed bail and the accused began to mutter under his breath.
“THe sheriff decided to remand the accused in custody and as the clerk read this to the accused he purposely brought saliva into his mouth and spat at Miss Kynaston, saliva landing on her desk, monitor and in her hair.”
Townsley, 40, a prisoner at HMP Perth, pleaded guilty on indictment to one charge of breaching bail and four of assault committed on March 20 and 21.
Sheriff Alastair Brown jailed Townsley for two-and-a-half years for the assaults on the police officers, and a further two-and-a-half years for the attack on the prosecutor to be served consecutively.
