Guard's wait agony after Wednesbury needle stabbing
A supermarket security guard faced six months of anxiety after he was stabbed by a thief with a dirty syringe, a court was told.
Drug addict Robert Grainger refused to have a blood test after the assault so Jason Rutter had to endure a half-year wait before being given the medical all clear, revealed Mr Mark Rees, prosecuting.
The 43-year-old stepped in as prolific criminal Grainger, 30, tried to steal two bottles of Jack Daniels worth £50 from Morrisons in Holyhead Road, Wednesbury, on May 1. The thief ignored a shouted warning and a tap on the shoulder before the security guard grabbed him by the arm, continued the prosecutor.
Mr Rees explained: "Mr Rutter tried to restrain the defendant who then reached down for something. The next thing the guard saw was a hand raised above his head holding a hypodermic syringe with an uncapped needle that looked dirty.
Grainger was yelling 'I am going to stab you' and making stabbing motions towards Mr Rutter who got him to the ground where the defendant continued to ignore pleas to drop the needle before finally letting it go."
After the thief had been caught, Mr Rutter noticed two pin pricks on the back of his left hand and cuts to his right index finger and thumb. He only received the medical all-clear earlier this month.
Grainger, who had 42 previous convictions involving more than 100 offences, mainly of theft, had also threatened Nicola Burns, deputy manager of the Asda store in Wolverhampton Road, Heath Town with a hypodermic syringe after she tried unsuccessfully to stop him taking meat worth £70 on April 11, the court was told.
Miss Kate Thomas, defending, said: "He has been a drug addict since a very early age and is profoundly remorseful. One has a great deal of sympathy with Mr Rutter."
Grainger, from Tennyson Road, The Scotlands, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent, possessing an offensive weapon and two charges of theft and was jailed for six and a half years.
