Anger after judge acquits Hannibal

Published on Saturday 5 July 2008 11:19

A VIOLENT rapist dubbed Hannibal has walked free from court after sending a message that left an NHS Lothian official in fear of his life.

Notorious patient Donald Gibson wrote a letter to a security guard which ended with the words: "If you turn a blind eye to this then I say to you it's people like you that turn people into serial killers."

Gibson claimed the chilling line had been scribbled out, but health chiefs said it was still clearly legible and breached a previous court order banning Gibson, 38, of Broomhouse, from abusing health board staff, patients and visitors.

In a previous hearing he had been warned he could face jail for breaching the interdict and being in contempt of court.

However, Judge Lady Dorrian, sitting at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, accepted that Gibson had attempted to cross out the line and acquitted him. Gibson, who attends the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for life-saving treatment, has been dubbed Hannibal because of his aggressive and threatening behaviour.

NHS Lothian successfully gained a court order banning him from physically or verbally abusing staff in 2006.

However, his persistent misbehaviour since then has seen him jailed for nine months for assaulting nurse David Walker at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and for making Nazi jibes at a German security guard.

Mike Grieve, NHS Lothian director of delivery, said: "I am sure that our staff will be shocked and disappointed that Donald Gibson was not found in breach of interdict or in contempt of court.

"Our staff have a right to work without fear or intimidation. We will continue to use every means at our disposal to put a stop to any activities that may upset or threaten our staff."

Gibson has built a reputation for not only being repeatedly aggressive and abusive but also as a serial complainer.

He made an astonishing 27 formal submissions to the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman, moaning that hospital staff stared at him, used the "wrong colour" needles, teased him over his fear of blood, left needles in his sight despite his "phobia", and mockingly quoted lines of Burns' poetry at him.

None of the submissions were upheld, apart from a minor one about the way the hospital implemented its complaints procedure.

His latest letter complained the security guard "was smiling and staring at him".

Tom Waterson, chairman of public sector union Unison's Scottish health committee, said: "The allegation was that this security guard was smiling at him. It is ridiculous.

"My understanding is that the threatening lines were not scribbled out but were clearly legible. We are very unhappy about this verdict."