Galashiels 31-year-old jailed for causing disturbance at hospital

Alex Russell, 31, of Gala Park in Galashiels, pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner in the hospital’s accident-and-emergency department on October 12.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court heard he had been taken to hospital by police officers after he had been arrested earlier on at his partner’s home in Scott Street in Galashiels and then told them he had consumed a large quantity of pills.

While at the hospital’s casualty department at around 3am, he threatened officers, saying he would slit their throats if he was returned to the cells, and also made demands described as unreasonable.

Depute fiscal Fiona Hamilton said Russell was too unruly to caution and charge at the time.

Defence lawyer Mat Patrick said his client is currently on remand for an indictment case to be heard in Glasgow and had also been recently jailed for another offence, sending an offensive message to a former partner’s sister.

He pointed out that Russell’s partner had died while he had been in custody.

Russell pleaded guilty to two counts of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at a house in Scott Street in Galashiels and at the Borders General Hospital on October 12.

Sheriff Peter Paterson told him that due to the exceptional circumstances of the case he was able to impose a jail term of less than 12 months despite the Scottish Government having ruled that such sentences should not be handed out unless necessary.