Prisoner missed court after getting COVID-19

A serial Perth offender, controversially taken by social workers to a music concert in Manchester to curb his offending, was one of four people unable to appear for sentence at the sheriff court on Wednesday because of the coronavirus outbreak at Perth Prison.

Thirty-two-year-old Del Banks was caught with a mobile phone at the Edinburgh Road jail where he is serving a 22-month sentence for a “cowardly” attack on his former partner as she lay helpless on the ground.

His lawyer Linda Clark told the court that he had contacted her office on Tuesday saying he had tested positive for COVID.

She had subsequently received email confirmation that was the case.

“He’s now obviously in a period of isolation,” added the solicitor.

Described as a prisoner at Perth, Banks previously admitted being in possession of the phone at the prison on June 25, 2020.

The accused, said to have “an appalling record,” was given the lengthy jail term in January 2020 for an attack on his ex.

He was told by Sheriff Robert Wood at the time: “You are well recognised as a violent criminal.

“To use the vernacular, you waded in with both feet and hands, kicking and punching her to the head.”

He was later traced in West Mill Street and was found with a knuckleduster.

He had been helped by his cousin Kelly Ann Banks to carry out the assault which resulted in the victim being knocked to the ground at the entrance of a Perth city centre tenement block.

Kelly Banks was ordered to be tagged for 18 weeks and was restricted to her home from 7am7pm, seven days a week.

Banks, described as a prisoner at Perth, and his 35-year-old coaccused, of Cumbrae Place, North Muirton, admitted an amended charges of attacking the victim at St Catherine’s Court, Perth, on September 1, 2019.

The career criminal was dubbed the poster boy for softtouch justice in 2004 when, aged 15, he was taken by social workers to Manchester to see The Black Eyed Peas.

At the time, Perth and Kinross Council claimed the outing had helped slow down his offending.

Sheriff Neil Bowie deferred sentence on Banks for the phone offence until July 28 and ordered him to appear personally on that date.