A SECURITY company has denied an employee's claims that a prisoner who pulled out a syringe while at Alloa Sheriff Court was not searched.

GeoAmey said Alloa "upskirter" Ryan Fox was searched when he arrived at the building on March 25, the day one of their staff who was handcuffed to the 32-year-old ended up with a seriously injured wrist.

It was alleged the injury came about because Fox, a diabetic, tried to threaten her with an EpiPen and assaulted her by causing here to fall while she led him to a van, in a bid to escape from custody.

And while it was accepted that Fox did pull out the potentially dangerous implement, a jury acquitted him at Stirling Sheriff Court last week after hearing about the "failures" of GeoAmey staff to follow procedure.

Specifically, one of the security company's former employees who was at the Wee County court on March 25 said during the trial: "I don't think [Fox] was searched [in court] that day."

And although Fox was searched before he left HMP Barlinnie to go to Alloa on the date in question, how he came to end up with the EpiPen in Alloa remains a mystery.

Two of the GeoAmey employees who transported him from the prison to Clacks said they could not remember him having the item.

One of them also said even if he did, it would always be kept with security staff.

That was also the opinion of the female prison custody officer who ended up injured after Fox pulled the syringe out.

It was Fox's position during the trial that it had simply been left in his pocket when he left prison that day.

In explaining how the GeoAmey employee ended up being hurt, he said he felt ill and took the EpiPen out his pocket, and that she "misunderstood" what he was doing then panicked and fell over.

Fox's solicitor, Virgil Crawford, told jurors last week: "The search procedures of GeoAmey clearly weren't followed.

"The only reason staff didn't know [the EpiPen] was there was because of failures in their own systems."

In response, a spokesperson for GeoAmey said: "The person in custody was searched before leaving prison, and also on arrival at Alloa Sheriff Court.

"The officers did not find an EpiPen during either of those searches.

"Whilst we note the decision of the court, and will of course investigate any learning points, we are disappointed with the outcome, particularly as one of our officers was injured during this incident.

"Any event, that ends with an injury to one of our employees whilst performing their duty is completely unacceptable.

"We offer full support to the staff affected by such incidents and we will always report these matters to the Police."