A thief has been jailed for four years after he grappled with the security guard at a Middlesbrough supermarket.

As a result of the incident, a supermarket security guard is still anxiously awaiting blood test results after he suffered a needle injury wrestling with a shoplifter. The thief who grappled with the security officer – and later held up a small shop with a broken bottle – was today jailed for four years.

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/supermarket-security-guard-awaiting-blood-8541623

It would be interesting to know how the jail term was assessed – theft, a second theft, using a broken bottle as a weapon, and no doubt a bit of previous, all come into play. But what about that needle? It makes us sit up and pay attention, and makes a good newspaper headline too. However, we are well aware of the anguish that may follow any sharps injury, and in this situation the risks are surely greater since the assailant is an addict.

How does the judiciary think of a needlestick injury infected maliciously? Do they see it as a minor physical would leaving barely a mark, or still less risky if 6 months later there is no evidence of consequential infection?  And what about the possibility of psychological ham, for the victim and perhaps their family?

What do you think?