Hospital spit thug is jailed

A man who threatened two police officers with violence and sexual violence at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, as well as spitting at one of them, was last week jailed for 21 months.

William Rae had earlier that day brandished a glass bottle at his former partner at a Tillicoultry address and attempted to strike the man with the bottle.

Thirty-eight-year-old Rae –who appeared at Stirling Sheriff Court from prison via videolink – had admitted a charge of assaulting his former partner at an address in Johnston Crescent on January 23, 2021.

He also pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening and abusive manner at the hospital on the same date by shouting and swearing and uttering threats of violence and sexual violence towards two police officers and assaulting one of the officers by spitting at him.

All the offences had occurred while Rae was on bail on other matters.

Representing Rae, solicitor Virgil Crawford told Sheriff Keith O’mahony that the Forth Valley Royal Hospital offences had been the result of Rae’s intoxication.

He said that spitting at a police officer was a particularly serious offence and custody would be at the forefront of the sheriff’s mind. Rae, he added, was under no illusions about that.

Mr Crawford pointed out that Rae had suffered a dislocated shoulder in the course of being restrained by his former partner, but was taken to hospital for other reasons as well.

His behaviour at Forth Valley Royal, he added,“was difficult to justify and he accepts the consequences of that.”

Rae had already spent just over four and a half months on remand, and while in custody had engaged with addicition services and was now detoxed from drugs and alcohol.

Mr Crawford said that Rae had been assessed as suitable for supervision and unpaid work.

He had not served a custodial sentence before, and the lawyer asked Sheriff O’mahony to consider the time Rae had already spent in custody.

Sheriff O’mahony said he recognised that Rae had made progress while in custody, but an assault within a hospital was as serious matter. There was no alternative to a custodial disposal, he added.

He sentenced Rae to a total of 21 months’ imprisonment which was reduced from 27 months due to the timing of his guilty plea. The term was backdated to November

24, 2021.