An Aberdeen drug addict who stabbed a hypodermic needle into the face of a female shop worker has avoided a prison sentence.
Susan Fletcher pulled needles from her bag and slashed and stabbed at staff and members of the public inside the city centre Londis store.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how the 27-year-old plunged the needle into the face of one worker, narrowly missing her eye and causing blood to pour down her face.
Upon stabbing the woman, Fletcher announced: “I have stabbed you with a needle, I have hepatitis.”
Her victim was forced to undergo extensive treatment due to fears she had contracted the potentially life-threatening infection.
Fletcher went on to slash at a member of the public with a second needle as he attempted to wrestle it from her grasp.
Aberdeen Londis worker stabbed near eye
Fiscal depute Rebecca Thompson told the court that at around 9.40pm on November 23 last year a customer assistant at Londis on George Street became aware of Fletcher entering the store and left the till area to observe what she was doing.
A disagreement ensued, causing Fletcher to attempt to flee the store.
Concerned that she had taken items from the shop, the worker tried to stop Fletcher from leaving the store, whereby she pulled a hypodermic needle from her bag and slashed wildly at the woman’s head and face.
“The accused then successfully struck the complainer close to the left eye with the needle causing blood to run down her face,” Ms Thompson said, adding: “Upon doing this the accused stated: ‘I have stabbed you with a needle, I have hepatitis.'”
A regular customer of the shop then entered and the shop worker shouted for him to stop Fletcher leaving the store whereby he grabbed Fletcher’s bag, which caused the needle to fly out of her hand and into George Street.
As he locked the door of the store – locking himself and Fletcher inside – she produced a second needle from the floor that had fallen out of her bag and started to advance towards him.
“Whilst doing so, the accused laughed and uttered threats to stab the member of the public with the needle she was holding,” Ms Thompson said.
“He then managed to seize hold of the accused and wrestle the needle from her possession.
“As he did so, the accused bit him on the upper right arm.”
Appearing in the dock today, Fletcher pleaded guilty to two charges of assault involving a hypodermic needle, brandishing a needle and biting a member of the public.
‘A frightening incident’
Defence solicitor John Hardie told the court that the argument between the two women had arisen due to Fletcher being challenged over her ability to pay for items in the shop.
He added that his client had had a “paranoid response” to being confronted due to being on heroin and diazepam.
“She knows her reaction was irrational and it becomes very unpleasant very quickly,” Mr Hardie said.
“Ms Fletcher made a very stupid, irrational and paranoid decision and she became a genuine source of trouble in that shop and what transpires is a frightening incident.
“She then strikes the woman on the face and that escalates this to a very frightening level.”
Mr Hardie added that Fletcher “utterly accepts that she was in the wrong” and “bitterly regrets” the incident.
Sheriff Gerard Sinclair described Fletcher’s actions as “very serious offences” and told her he was considering a maximum prison sentence of two years.
‘An ongoing issue with your mental health and drug abuse’
He also pointed out that Fletcher had been on remand for these offences since November last year.
“I have to take into account the factors before me,” he said.
“You acknowledged your guilt and you had taken large quantities of heroin and diazepam and were clearly not thinking straight.
“There is obviously still an ongoing issue with your mental health and drug abuse.”
As an alternative to a custodial sentence, Sheriff Sinclair made Fletcher, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, subject to a community payback order with supervision for 12 months.
He also ordered Fletcher to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
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