Murder con gets battered with tin

May 15 2009 by Les Stewart, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

VIOLENCE erupted at Perth Prison when an inmate attacked a convicted murderer with a food tin wrapped in a sock.

Twenty-nine-year-old Andrew Crawley struck Mark Lindsay on the head during a confrontation in C Hall at the Edinburgh Road jail.

As a result, Lindsay, who is serving a life sentence, fell to the floor, where he was hit another twice with the improvised weapon.

The victim was treated for bruising to the back of his head and left eye and a laceration below his eyebrow.

Perth Sheriff Court was told that the incident was in retaliation for Lindsay threatening the accused with a knife and stealing items from his cell.

Crawley, now an inmate at Glenochil, had been serving four years for drug offences.

He pled guilty to the assault which took place on October 13 last year.

Depute fiscal Charmaine Cole said that the incident took place about 5.20pm when both men were in the communal area of C Hall.

The accused ran up behind Lindsay and removed the sock, containing the tin, from the waistband of his trousers.

He then struck him on the back of the head. He was heard to say to the complainer: “That would stop him coming at him with a knife.”

A prison officer radioed for assistance.

Solicitor James McLean said that prior to the incident his client had made two complaints about Lindsay entering his cell with a knife and robbing him of various items.

“He was scared – at his wits’ end – and took matters into his own hands,” he added.

“He has no previous record for crimes of violence and this was totally out of character.”

Crawley had been in segregation for two weeks after the assault and was then transferred to Glenochil.

Sheriff Michael Fletcher told the accused: “This was a dangerous assault, using a tin, and could have caused much more serious injury than it did.”

He jailed Lindsay for three months, to run from the expiry of his present sentence.