A thug has been jailed after repeatedly punching a prison officer at HMP Grampian.
David Moran, 35, had started to yell “at the top of his voice” to warn other inmates that staff were coming to search them.
And when prison officers tried to grab hold of him he lashed out, twice punching the female employee to the head.
Fiscal depute Felicity Merson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that at 6.45am on February 26 2019 prison officer attended to carry out searched of new inmates on their first night in custody.
Mrs Merson said: “The accused began to shout ‘search team, search team’ at the top of his voice.
“This would give people time to flush or conceal articles.
“He was instructed to get back into his cell but refused.”
When the complainer tried to take hold of his arm, Moran punched her in the head, before lashing out a second time and again connecting with the victim’s head.
Mrs Merson told the court the woman was left with bruising and had to take the rest of the day off due to a “severe headache”.
Moran, of St Andrews Way, Livingston, pled guilty to a charge of assault to injury.
Defence agent Craig Scott said: “He bears no ill will towards the complainer. She was effectively doing her job. He appreciates what could never be accepted is the way he responded to that.”
The solicitor added: “He’s currently in a relationship with a prison officer and has previously been in a relationship with a different prison officer.”
Sheriff William Summers told Moran: “You pled guilty to assaulting a prison officer in prison, and that simply cannot be tolerated.”
He ordered Moran to be jailed for 12 months.
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