A violent inmate – once dubbed Scotland’s most dangerous prisoner – has been sent to the State Hospital without limit of time for brutal attacks in jail, including HMP Grampian.
Ewan MacDonald left one guard at the north-east prison so traumatised he quit his job after 15 years.
A psychiatrist told the High Court in Glasgow MacDonald poses a high risk of danger to the public.
Judge Lady Stacey ordered him to be detained at the State Hospital under a compulsion and restriction order.
Other prison officers and inmates were attacked by the 26-year-old. His makeshift weapons included a sharpened toilet brush handle and a radio aerial.
He will only be freed when he is no longer deemed a risk.
Dr Gordon Skilling from the hospital told prosecutor Lisa Gillespie that MacDonald has a dissocial personality disorder.
Dr Skilling said: “He has perpetrated a series of violent crimes involving carrying and using weapons, including improvised weapons. He will have little regard or remorse for his actions.”
The court was told MacDonald suffers from persecutory delusions and does not accept he has a mental illness.
Dr Skilling added: “He exhibits violent behaviour. There was a recent violent incident within the State Hospital and he would exhibit violence to the public at large.”
MacDonald, who was handcuffed in the dock, was flanked by six security guards and a nurse from the hospital. Six police officers were also in court.
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MacDonald , who faced 13 charges including attempted murder, was deemed unfit to stand trial and an examination of facts hearing was held.
The attacks were said to have occurred at Shotts, Grampian, Low Moss and Perth jails between July 2017 and March last year.
Lady Stacey ruled that MacDonald carried out 11 of the charges.
He was acquitted of trying to kill one prison officer and seriously assaulting another at Perth jail.
One man, who had been a guard at HMP Grampian in August 2017, said MacDonald had only been there a few days when he launched an attack on prison officers.
Giving evidence at a previous hearing, he said MacDonald, who was armed with a broken radio aerial and a sharpened toilet brush handle, slashed and stabbed at him and two colleagues.
He said: “Every time I was hit, it was puncturing my body. The incident was a blur. Blood was in my eyes. I have never been back to the prison since. I have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.”
MacDonald had been charged with assaulting the three officers to their injury, permanent disfigurement and danger of life.
Among the other charges included two attempted murders of fellow inmates at high security jail Shotts.
MacDonald was jailed for attempted murder in 2016.
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