An Aberdeen prisoner who viciously grabbed a female guard by the hair and repeatedly assaulted her was later caught doing a celebratory dance following the attack.
Darren Warchol was remanded at Kittybrewster Police Office when two custody officers went to his cell in order to obtain fingerprints and photograph him.
However, Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard the 33-year-old seized the female guard by the hair, pulled her to the ground and repeatedly kicked the woman to the head.
He also managed to punch a male officer during the frenzied attack.
Following the incident, Warchol was seen on CCTV gesturing towards the cameras and doing a dance “as though in celebration of what he had just done”.
Kicked guard ‘multiple’ times
Fiscal depute David Rogers told the court that on January 26 this year, Warchol was on remand in relation to another matter when the two police custody and security officers (PCSO) arrived at his cell.
Almost immediately Warchol became argumentative and they chose not to carry out the identification process and went to return him to his cell.
“The accused then removed his jogging trousers and threw them towards the male guard as the female officer stepped forward to guide the accused back into his cell,” Mr Rogers said.
“Without warning the accused grabbed the female PCSO by the hair and pulled her to the ground.”
The emergency alarm was activated and, as the male PCSO went to assist his colleague, all three fell back into Warchol’s cell.
Warchol landed on his mattress on his back, while the male guard landed on his stomach and the female guard fell on his legs.
He once more grabbed the female PCSO by the hair and kicked her with the heel of his foot to the crown of her head multiple times.
While this was going on, Warchol also managed to punch the male guard before other officers were able to enter the cell.
After the assault, Warchol was seen on CCTV gesturing toward the camera and “dancing as though in celebration of what he had just done”.
The female guard suffered large swelling to her head and was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary the following day where it was found she also had muscle injuries to her neck and back.
Warchol pleaded guilty to two charges of assault against both custody officers.
Defence solicitor Christopher Maitland told the court that there was “obviously no excuse” for his client’s actions.
“It came from the way he felt the cell officers had treated him,” he said.
“Mr Warchol thought he was pushed in order to get him back into his cell.
“He accepts that a custodial sentence is the only appropriate way to deal with this matter.”
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin sentenced Warchol, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, to 16 months in prison, backdated to January 26 this year.
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