A psychopath who left a prison officer scarred for life has been branded too dangerous for any of Scotland’s jails.
Anthony Elliot has already been placed on a lifelong restriction order and now faces being moved to a specialist unit in England for uncontrollable prisoners.
Elliot has been in jail almost constantly since he was 15 but he has repeatedly attacked prison officers and other inmates with makeshift weapons.
In his latest incident, 23-year-old Elliot admitted attacking prison officer John Jewell in Perth Prison on March 20 and leaving him scarred for life by hurling a kettle of boiling sugared water over him.
Now Perth Sheriff Court has been told that moves are afoot to assess Elliot for a move to Frankland Prison in County Durham. Frankland holds criminals who cannot be managed in a normal jail.
Solicitor Emma Todd, defending, said: “He has been in a custodial setting since he was around 15. Of the last five years he has only spent two or three months not in segregation.
“Time in segregation is not doing him any good and may be exacerbating underlying difficulties he has. He has been assessed as having a social/psychopathic personality disorder.
“Various workers within prison have been considering transferring him to Frankland in England, which has a ‘severe personality disorder and dangerous’ unit for prisoners who cannot be managed in prison.”
She told the court Elliot – who laughed when details of the injuries he caused were revealed in court – would not be considered for parole until 2028 at the earliest. She said he offered no explanation for the latest attack.
Fiscal depute Gavin Letford said: “He was in segregation and Mr Jewell attended his cell because the prisoners’ evening meals were being issued.
“He checked the accused was on the bed, as that was the usual safety procedure. He entered the cell on his own and his two colleagues remained behind him.
“Mr Jewell bent down to pick up a kit bag and as he did so he saw the accused holding a kettle. The accused threw the liquid contents of the kettle at him.
“It struck him on the side of the face and shoulder, burning him. He described it as being very hot and very sticky. The accused threw the kettle at him.”
Mr Letford said the victim was off work for several days and had been left with scarring on his shoulder.
Sheriff William Wood jailed Elliot for a further 27 months and said: “There is not much I can do to you that hasn’t already been done. It is depressing that here you are at 23, having spent a phenomenal proportion of your life in custody.
“This was a cowardly attack on a prison officer doing his job. There is nothing offered in mitigation, no reason for the attack.”
Since turning 16 in 2008, Elliot has racked up 11 convictions for offences including mobbing and rioting, assault and robbery, endangering life and attempted murder.
The majority of his offences took place in prison and also included scarring a man for life with a razor blade in a racist attack, and using other weapons such as knives and a kosh.
Elliot was already serving life for trying to murder a Polmont inmate when he slashed Umar Bhatti with a makeshift weapon and left him permanently disfigured.
He then wrote a sick letter saying he was sorry he hadn’t killed his victim. Elliot’s lifelong restriction means he will only be released if the Parole Board are satisfied he no longer poses a threat.