A violent inmate once dubbed Scotland’s most dangerous prisoner carried out a string of slashings in jails across the country – including HMP Grampian.
Ewan MacDonald, 26, left one HMP Grampian guard so traumatised he quit his job after 15 years.
MacDonald – now in the State Hospital at Carstairs – was deemed unfit to stand trial.
An examination of facts hearing – which looked at the circumstances of the case – instead took place over four days at the High Court in Glasgow.
MacDonald faced a total of 13 charges including attempted murder. The attacks were said to have occurred at Shotts, Grampian, Low Moss and Perth jails between July 2017 and March 2018.
After hearing evidence, judge Lady Stacey said she found MacDonald “carried out the acts” in 11 of the charges. He was acquitted of trying to kill a prison officer and seriously assaulting another at Perth jail.
MacDonald will remain at Carstairs meantime on an interim compulsion order. The case was adjourned until December for medical reports.
A former guard at HMP Grampian gave evidence via CCTV.
He said MacDonald had only been there for a few days when he launched an attack on prison officers.
Keep up to date with the latest news with The Evening Express newsletter
The court was told MacDonald “slashed and stabbed” at staff. The guard was struck as he tried to intervene. The court was told MacDonald had a broken radio aerial and a toilet brush handle that had both been sharpened.
The former guard told the hearing: “Every time I was hit, it was puncturing my body. The incident was a big blur.”
Prosecutor Kath Harper asked him: “Did you go back to work after this?” He replied: “No, I have never been back to the prison since.
“Since then I have been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. At the time, I had been an officer for 15 years.”
The court was told MacDonald is now said to suffer from a “delusional illness”.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Express website. For more information, read about our new combined website.