Thug’s reckless act in hospital results in jail

A Perth thug who culpably and recklessly ripped a tube from his arm at the high dependency unit at PRI has been jailed for eight months.

Thirty-two-year-old Del Banks, of Speygate, Perth, was also subject to two bail conditions from Perth Sheriff Court at the time.

He admitted pulling the cannula from his arm, causing it to strike and injure - PC Rachel Roger - at the Taymount Terrace building on July 16, 2019.

Imposing the jail term, Sheriff Gillian Wade told the accused, who appeared via video link-up: “This sort of behaviour can’t be tolerated.

“This must have been a very unpleasant incident and, while it involved a police officer, it also took place in a hospital.”

Career criminal Banks was dubbed the poster boy for soft-touch justice in 2004 when, aged 15, he was taken by social workers to Manchester to see a concert by group The Black Eyed Peas.

Perth and Kinross Council declared the outing a success in helping curb his out-of-control behaviour.

But since then he has racked up dozens of convictions, including a string of assaults.

In January last year, Banks was jailed for 22 months after he carried out a “cowardly” attack on his former partner as she lay helpless on the ground.

Banks, said to have an “appalling record,” was told by Sheriff William Wood: “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.

The accused was helped by his cousin Kelly Ann Banks, who punched the victim and knocked her to the ground at the entrance to a city centre tenement block.

She was ordered to be tagged for the next 18 weeks, restricting her to her home from 7am-7pm, seven days a week.

Banks and his 35-year-old coaccused, of Cumbrae Place, North Muirton, admitted an amended charge of attacking Ms Townley at St Catherine’s Court, Perth, on September 1, 2019.

Part of the charge which alleged they threatened to kill the other woman and stamped on her was deleted.

The incident was captured on CCTV and was shown in court.

It showed both accused setting about the complainer before she managed to run off.

An ambulance was contacted and she was checked over by paramedics.

She was described as “upset” and had cuts to her head and hand.