Police officer fell on used needle after 'finger chewed' by Glasgow man

A steroid user who left a police officer having to undergo HIV checks after chewing his finger and causing him to fall onto a used needle was jailed for 14 months.

27.year old Umar Chaudhary from Glasgow admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice, assault and culpable and reckless conduct when he appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

Chaudhary tried to swallow a bag containing white powder while police were dealing with him on a separate matter in July this year.

Officers restrained him which resulted in a 33-year-old officer falling onto a needle lying on Chaudhary’s bed.

The father-of-two also chewed the policeman's finger in the struggle which required hospital treatment.

Sheriff Johanna Johnston told Chaudhary that the sentence would have been higher had he been carrying the needle himself.

The court heard officers were dealing with a separate matter at Chaudhary’s flat in Glasgow’s Tradeston area.

At first he was "compliant" with officers but his mood changed immediately.

Prosecutor Pat Callander said: "At this point he leapt forward and grabbed a bag of white powder and placed it in his mouth to swallow and dissolve it.

"He was told to spit it out, but he refused.

"Police tried to restrain him which caused the officer to fall on the bed and the needle jabbed into his buttocks."

The policeman was taken to hospital and needs to undergo HIV tests every three months until 2020 and tests for Hepatitis C.

Chaudhary later apologised to the officer.

His lawyer, Michael McKeown, told the court that the "heavy duty needle" was for steroid use.

He added: "He was taking cocaine regularly and lost weight but sought to deal with that through the use of steroids."

Sheriff Johanna Johnston told Chaudhary: "This was a dreadful thing for an officer to face in his work.

"If the needle was on your person you would have received a significant sentence.

"In this case you bit an officer and you will take full responsibility for that."

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