A drugs trafficker who was jailed over a massive cocaine recovery in Aberdeen has had another year added to his sentence for attacking two prison guards.
Jed Duncan assaulted an officer at HMP Perth, leaving him bruised and swollen.
Months earlier, the 25-year-old attacked a prison officer while at Addiewell Prison in West Lothian.
Perth Sheriff Court heard on Friday he lashed out because he thought staff had refused to give him a job because he was from Aberdeen.
Duncan appeared via videolink and admitted both assaults and two counts of possession of a mobile phone behind bars.
Last month, he was sentenced to three years and four months at the High Court in Edinburgh.
It followed an undercover police operation targeting serious crime in Aberdeen, which linked Duncan to £36,000 of Class A cocaine.
Duncan admitted being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug between November 4 and 6, 2020.
Fiscal Depute David Currie told Perth Sheriff Court on Friday about the initial incident at HMP Addiewell on June 6, 2019, when Duncan was in jail for another matter.
First assault
He said Duncan approached prison officers at the front desk.
Duncan asked them if he could get a job as a “passman” – which would give him responsibility for maintaining and cleaning part of the jail – but was refused.
Mr Currie said: “He walked away and kicked a bin in anger.
“Prison officer Josh Ewing followed after Mr Duncan.
“He asked him to calm down but Mr Duncan refused.
“The accused then punched Mr Ewing to the left side of the face.
“Mr Ewing summoned other officers to assist.
“The accused continued to struggle and was placed in segregation.”
Days later, guards searched Duncan in his cell and recovered a mobile phone that was hidden inside his shorts.
Second assault
Mr Currie said by December 2019, Duncan had been moved to HMP Perth.
“Prison officer Craig Stewart observed the accused trying to hide something in his pocket.
“He challenged him about this and told him he was going to be searched.
“The accused initially appeared to be calm but then appeared to swallow something.
“Mr Stewart became hands-on with the accused.”
Duncan reacted by pushing Mr Stewart and struck him on the head and body, to his injury.
“Mr Stewart activated his personal alarm to alert other officers,” Mr Currie said.
“Mr Stewart was seen to have reddening under his left eye and there was bruising to his upper right shoulder.”
Following the assault, Duncan was searched and was found to be holding a mobile phone.
Banter about being Aberdonian
Defence agent Andrew Ormiston said his client had been moved to Addiewell from HMP Grampian in Peterhead.
“There was a certain amount of banter between Mr Duncan and the prison staff about him being an Aberdonian,” he said.
“He felt that he was denied employment, because he was not a local. This is what caused things to kick off.”
Sheriff Neil Bowie told Duncan: “Clearly there is no alternative to a custodial sentence.
“Prison officers have a right to expect to carry out their duties without being assaulted.”
Duncan was sentenced to a further 12 months, which will run consecutively with his current jail term.