Borders man made threats of murder during hospital disturbance
A Galashiels man found guilty of causing a disturbance in a hospital has received a 15 months prison sentence at Selkirk Sheriff Court.
But the jail term was back-dated to February 20 last year when Michael Hartley was remanded in custody and therefore he was eligible for immediate release due to prisoners only serving half their sentence.
Following a three-day jury trial he was found guilty of threatening or abusive behaviour at St John’s Hospital on February 19, last year.
He was shouting and swearing, acting in an aggressive manner, overturned furniture and spilled water over the floor of the hospital ward.
The jury also found Hartley guilty of a second charge of threatening or abusive behaviour at the hospital by demanding the names of any witnesses who reported him to the police and threatened to murder them.
He received a sentence totalling nine months for the two hospital offences and another six months for maliciously destroying property at a house occupied by himself in Torwoodlee Road, Galashiels, between January and September 2024. Hartley was found not guilty by the jury of three other offences - assault, attempted robbery and threatening or abusive behaviour - in the Ship Inn, Melrose, on February 7.