Edinburgh Sheriff Court hearings suspended after prisoner's dirty protest

He is claimed to have daubed the walls of his cells in excrement.

Trials at one of Scotland’s busiest courts had to be halted last week - after a prisoner allegedly covered himself in poo while he was waiting in the cell complex.

Hearings at Edinburgh Sheriff Court were postponed for around three hours when the unnamed remand prisoner is said to have carried out the dirty protest at around 8am last Wednesday.

The man is claimed to have daubed the walls of his cell with excrement before rubbing it on his head and face after being brought to the capital court from HMP Edinburgh.

Hearings at Edinburgh Sheriff Court were postponed.

The 70-year-old pensioner is then said to have thrown lumps of muck at disgusted security staff and used racist language within the cell complex area.

A specialist cleaning team was subsequently drafted in by court officials to carry out a thorough clean up of the area following the filthy incident. 

A source said: “The man was brought into the court building early in the morning last Wednesday after being picked up from prison in a van. 

“He was then placed within a cell downstairs and was waiting on his turn to appear in court when it is believed he carried out this disgusting act.

“It is difficult enough for court staff to deal with prisoners but to have go through something like that is pretty grim.

“Some hearings had to be put off for a short time and other prisoners had to be put off being brought in to court until the specialist cleaning firm had been brought in to do a thorough clean up of the whole area.”

A Scottish Court and Tribunal Service spokesperson said: “We can confirm an incident occurred within the cell complex of Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Wednesday 6 March 2024 which required the attendance of specialist cleaning services.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “A 70-year-old man has been reported to the Procurator Fiscal following reckless behaviour and a hate crime incident which happened within the cell area of Edinburgh Sheriff Court in Chambers Street, Edinburgh on Wednesday 6 March, 2024.”