Jail warning for 'Hannibal Lecter'

A NOTORIOUS hospital patient was warned today that he could face jail after sending an allegedly threatening letter to a Lothian health board official.

Convicted rapist Donald Gibson, who has been dubbed "Hannibal Lecter", penned a letter complaining about a security guard employed by health authorities to escort him to vital kidney dialysis sessions.

A judge heard that the subject matter of Gibson's moan was that the officer "was smiling and staring at him".

But the complaint letter 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".

Mark Fitzpatrick, counsel for Lothian Health Board, told the Court of Session in Edinburgh that the words had been scribbled over, but remained legible.

He said: "It caused considerable alarm to the recipient and to other members of staff who became aware of its content."

Mr Fitzpatrick said that alarm was against a background of violence and threats of violence.

He told the court: "The offending words are taken as a threat of serious violence which is taken most seriously by the health board."

The counsel said the letter, dated November last year, was addressed to the person who was the complaints officer for the health board at the time.

The health authority has now raised proceedings against Gibson, 38, of Broomhouse, Edinburgh, for allegedly breaching an earlier court order.

In 2005 a judge granted an interim interdict against Gibson prohibiting him from molesting health board staff, patients and visitors.

Gibson was ordered to appear before Lord Uist today and the judge told him: "One possible outcome is imprisonment if this is found proved or admitted."

Gibson told the judge: "I feel I have done nothing wrong. I wrote that letter but at the time I wrote the letter I didn't intend to do anything stupid or that.

"I was deeply upset when I wrote this letter. I had about 40 to 50 complaints that just got ignored."

Lord Uist continued the proceedings and advised Gibson, who appeared for himself, to seek legal representation.

The health board had asked the court to have Gibson appear to explain his alleged breach of the interdict.

It is also seeking that a judge should "visit upon the respondent (Gibson) such punishment by imprisonment or otherwise as to the court shall seem fit".

The original court order banned Gibson from verbally abusing, threatening, using violence or causing fear or distress to staff, patients and visitors.

Gibson was ordered to be detained for eight years in 1989 after he broke into a young teacher's cottage, near Stirling, and subjected the 23-year-old woman to repeated rape during a 12-hour ordeal.

In 2006 he was jailed for nine months after attacking nurse David Walker at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and making Nazi-style jibes at a German security guard.

Gibson has to attend the hospital three times a week for regular life-saving dialysis sessions because of a chronic renal condition.

Hospital bosses have spent thousands of pounds on security measures for Gibson.

The health authority said in its latest court move: "Subsequent to his imprisonment for assault he has continued to make demeaning and unpleasant comments towards members of staff."

It claims: "He has continued to make groundless complaints in the course of which he has generally been careful to issue coded threats rather overt threats."

It said "one of his groundless complaints" was the letter containing the reference to people turning into serial killers.

The health authority maintains that although the offending words were scribbled over they had intentionally been allowed to remain legible.