Fife man jailed after Victoria Hospital fracas

Serial offender George McKenna was released from his last jail term in October but since then his life had “spiralled out of control”, Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard.

McKenna, 27, of Hope Street, Lumphinnans, admitted that on March 21 at Primmer Place, Cowdenbeath, with the intention of evading detection and prosecution, he placed a quantity of heroin into his mouth to conceal it in an attempt to pervert the course of justice.

The same day at Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, he shouted, swore, acted in an aggressive manner and uttered abusive remarks towards police officers.

He also admitted acting in a racially aggravated manner towards a hospital employee, by swearing, acting in an aggressive manner and using racially offensive language towards him.

Depute fiscal Alisdair Shaw said, “When police officers were speaking to the accused he was tucking his head into his jacket and appeared to have something in his mouth.

“They told him to spit it out but he refused and swallowed it.”

He was then taken to accident and emergency at the Victoria Hospital with officers suspecting it was heroin he had swallowed.

He began swearing at police and made a racially abusive remark to a worker.

When hospital staff were satisfied he was ready to be released he was taken back to the police station.

Defence solicitor Gwenn Haggerty said her client had been released from a previous sentence in October. “Drugs are an issue and he’s felt things have spiralled out of control since he’s been released,” she added.

Sheriff Chris Shead jailed McKenna for four months.

Last year, handing out a previous jail sentence, Sheriff Charles MacNair told McKenna, “You have the most appalling record.

“The only significant gaps in offending seem to appear when you are in custody.”