A man will spend his 23rd consecutive Christmas in jail after prison officers searched his cell and found he’d sharpened a toilet brush into a “dagger-like” weapon.
Ronald Goldie was caught out when the makeshift weapon was discovered during a search of his cell at HMP Grampian prison in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire.
The 41-year-old admitted he was “no stranger” to the courtroom and said this Christmas would be his 23rd in a row in custody.
Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “On May 12 2020, the accused was relocated to another cell within HMP Grampian and the following day the cell was searched.
“During that, prison officers recovered a plastic toilet brush handle sharpened to a point to form a dagger-like object and some sort of tape wrapped around one end to form a better grip.”
The item was seized and the matter was reported to the police.
‘I take full responsibility’
Goldie, now of HMP Lowmoss in Glasgow, pled guilty to being in possession of a “sharpened plastic implement” in prison.
Appearing without a solicitor, Goldie told the court: “I take full responsibility.
“I was the sole occupant of that cell so I take full responsibility for what the officers found in my cell.”
“You can tell from my record, I’m no stranger to being in a courtroom. This is going to be my 23rd Christmas in a row in prison.”
‘I can’t say I’m an angel’
Goldie added: “I can’t say I’m an angel. This is it for me now. I’m keeping my head down.
“I’m actually starting to grow up a wee bit and start taking responsibility and stop taking drugs. I’ve been clean for the last five years.”
Sheriff Graham Buchanan told Goldie: “You do have a very significant record of previous convictions.
“You have more than one previous conviction for this particular offence.”
The sheriff ordered Goldie to be jailed for 20 months.
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