Teenager threatened to rape staff member and held knife to man's throat in attacks at children's homes

A teenager subjected staff at two children’s homes to “horrific” behaviour, including threatening to rape one worker and holding a butter knife to another’s throat.

Jamie McQuoid, 18, was in the dock at the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday after earlier admitting to behaviour which one traumatised worker described as “horrific”.

This included a woman being grabbed by the neck at a residential unit in Lanarkshire and warned he would “rape” her if she screamed for help.

The deputy manager at that children’s home said McQuoid was “unpredictable and aggressive”.

Fiscal Rebecca Clark told a hearing at Hamilton Sheriff Court back in May: “McQuoid would kick, spit, slap, put him in choke hold and put a butter knife at his throat.

“The deputy manager said the comments were horrific and McQuoid’s behaviour became part of the normal working day.

“He felt tearful thinking about it.

“A female worker said staff became desensitised to his sexually violent behaviour.”

Staff often struggled to control McQuoid, who was 6ft 2in and 18 stone.

One worker also suffered a head wound after he hit her.

McQuoid was later transferred to another Lanarkshire unit.

It was there he then groped a female staff member and made inappropriate remarks.

McQuoid had pleaded guilty to a total of ten charges spanning between January 2022 and May 2023.

In October this year, Sheriff Linda Nicolson sent the case to the High Court where sentencing powers are tougher.

Richard Goddard KC, defending, urged judge Lady Drummond to impose an extended sentence involving McQuoid being detained in custody and then supervised for a number of years on his release.

This would be as an alternative to the Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) – a form of life sentence for serious offenders.

Mr Goddard said: “He is now 18. The offending took place when he was 16 and 17. He has no previous convictions.”

But, Lady Drummond went on to state that she had decided to order a full risk assessment to be carried out on McQuoid to investigate the continued danger he may pose.

This could eventually see him hit with an OLR when he is finally sentenced.

The case will next call on March 14 in Edinburgh.

McQuoid remains in custody meantime.