A “vile” thug has been jailed after he spat in the eye of a female police officer – forcing her to now have regular blood tests for infectious diseases.
David McEwan, 36, was arrested for throwing a bottle of wine at a Tesco Express worker on September 15 this year and was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary by police due to his level of intoxication.
However, once his handcuffs were removed at the hospital he became hostile towards doctors and threw a tube that was covered in blood and saliva at a female police officer.
As she attempted to restrain McEwan on the bed he then spat directly into her eye.
The officer now requires regular blood tests for the next six months due to the risk of infectious disease.
He carried out the attack on the two men on April 17 last year.
McEwan pleaded guilty at Aberdeen Sheriff Court to two charges of assaulting a shop worker and throwing a glass bottle at him and of assaulting a police officer by spitting on her face.
Accused pulled bloody tube from his face and threw it at officer
Fiscal depute Katie Begg told the court that the 36-year-old was heavily drunk while at a Tesco Express on Great Northern Road and was asked by staff to leave the store.
When a Tesco worker then called police for assistance, McEwan re-entered the store and launched a bottle of wine at him, which narrowly missed the staff member and smashed on the floor nearby.
Three workers then had to restrain McEwan on the ground for 45 minutes until police arrived.
Ms Begg said that McEwan was taken to Kittybrewster Police Station but had to be transported to ARI due to his level of drunkenness.
She added: “The accused’s condition deteriorated and he was taken to the resuscitation area where his handcuffs were removed to allow medical treatment to be administered.
“Shortly after this doctors asked police officers for assistance as the accused had become hostile.
“Immediately upon the officers entering the room, the accused removed a tube which had earlier been inserted into his nose and mouth, and which was covered in his blood and saliva, and threw it at the complainer.”
The officers were then forced to restrain McEwan due to his aggressive and volatile behaviour.
He continued to resist and then spat directly into the female officer’s eye – with her colleague having to put his hand over his mouth to stop him from spitting again.
Ms Begg continued: “As a result of saliva having entered the complainer’s eye, medical staff washed it out and took a blood sample from her.
“She is required to undergo regular blood testing for a period of six months due to risk of her having contracted an infectious disease.”
‘You spat in face of police officer who was trying to help you’
Defence agent David Sutherland told the court that McEwan had “a long term alcohol misuse issues as well as substance misuse issues”.
He added: “He has no recollection of events that day and doesn’t even remember waking up in the morning.
“He doesn’t remember because he drank so much in the morning after drinking the night before.”
Sheriff William Summers described the behaviour at Tesco Express and at ARI as “vile and utterly deplorable”.
“Amongst other things, you spat in the face of a police officer who was trying to help you,” he said.
“I’ve said many times in this court that police officer’s should be able to go about their business without being subjected to the sort of vile abuse which you subjected this officer.
“It is quite clear against the backdrop of your criminal record that there is no appropriate alternative to the imposition of a custodial sentence.”
Sheriff Summer sentenced McEwan, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, to 19 months in prison.
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