Violent offender jailed after leaving cop scarred for life

The 24-year-old has a history of violence against police officers

By Gordon Currie
Contributor

The rollout of body-worn video cameras for Scottish police officers could be delayed by several months, it has emerged.

Serial criminal David Conroy was also placed under supervision for a further 12 months in order to protect the public from further harm when he is released from prison.

PC Duncan Wilkie was left with a scar from the bite marks Conroy inflicted on him as officers were trying to put the violent offender in a spit hood at police HQ in Dundee.

Sheriff Paul Brown told Conroy: “It is serious offending, against a background of other serious offending. I see no alternative to a custodial sentence.

“I also consider it necessary, in order to protect the public from serious harm upon your release, to impose a supervised release order for 12 months.”

Dundee Sheriff Court was told that Conroy had a long history of violence, including a previous incident of trying to bite a police officer as he fled from a shoplifting offence.

Solicitor Larry Flynn, defending, said: “He is aware that a custodial sentence will be inevitable, given his record and the terms of the charges. He has a lengthy record.

“He was not helped by the substances he had taken. The court has seen the picture of the police officer’s finger, which clearly still has a mark. He remembers very little about it.

“He was fighting at 11pm and then afterwards was the incident with the police. He was arrested and there were the usual verbals as he was taken to the police station.

“Police took steps to try and make the situation safe and that is when he acted in this manner.”

The first incident happened when Conroy asked a stranger for money before pouncing on him in the city centre in February.

The court heard the 21-year-old victim was on Nethergate, near the Primark store, when Conroy approached him.

“The accused appeared, shouting, in the street and was stumbling around trying to make conversation,” fiscal depute Joanne Ritchie said.

“The complainer stated the accused was not making much sense and kept asking for money. He told the accused to leave him alone and was observed to be in a verbal row.

“The accused then raised his fists and punched him to the right side of his face, causing him to become dazed.”

“It is serious offending, against a background of other serious offending. I see no alternative to a custodial sentence”

Sheriff Paul Brown

The pair then fell to the ground and the victim struggled to get Conroy off him. Police arrived and placed Conroy under arrest.

The victim was taken to Ninewells Hospital, having suffered scrapes, bruising and a bloodied nose at Conroy’s hands.

Conroy’s behaviour would become “more challenging” while being dealt with by police.

He sank his teeth into PC Wilkie’s hand as he tried to apply a spit hood to his head.

The officer was required to take a three-day course of antibiotics after the bite broke the skin and left a permanent scar.

The court heard PC Wilkie also had to have tests done to ensure he had not contracted any blood-borne infections such as hepatitis.

Conroy admitted committing the two assaults, on Nethergate and at police headquarters on West Bell Street.

In a previous case, Conroy was jailed for 44 weeks for trying to bite a police officer who caught him running off with a stolen case of Tennent’s lager. He spat in the face of one officer as he tried to carry out his escape.

Conroy, 24, was jailed last year after he admitted a series of dishonesty and disorder offences.

Fiscal depute Lynn Mannion told the court: “Witnesses saw the accused running from the shop and down the street with a crate of Tennent’s.

“Staff contacted police and informed them that he had not paid for the item. When they caught up with him, Conroy began to struggle with officers.”

The court was told that Conroy tried to bite one officer and refused to stand up, before spitting in the face of another police officer. He was handcuffed.

Mannion told the court that further officers were called to the scene to assist and a spit hood was eventually placed over Conroy’s head. He was carried to the police van.

He admitted hurling abuse at his mother Mary at her home in June 2022, and stealing beer from News, Food & Wine.

He admitted attacking PC Malcolm McKenzie, brawling with several other officers and trying to bite PC Leah Harvey on the hand.

Conroy also admitted breaching bail by approaching his mother in August and September, and spitting on PC Mark Reid and hurling sectarian abuse on the earlier date.

Flynn, defending, told the court on that occasion that Conroy came from “a family of 10” and had difficulties with drugs and alcohol.