Ping pong sparks prison ding dong

Simbarashe Bvindi felt it was his turn to play table tennis

An illegal immigrant waiting to be deported to Zimbabwe sparked a prison brawl in a row over a ping pong ball, a court has heard.

Sex offender Simbarashe Bvindi started the fight in Perth Prison because another man jumped in to play table tennis ahead of him.

Bvindi grabbed the ball and then lashed out at his rival by punching him in the face and knocking him to the ground.

He has also been responsible for a number of other crimes behind bars.

The ping pong fight broke out on 20 February.

Prison officers had to jump in to separate the players as they tussled with each other and one of the warders was struck in the melee.

Perth Sheriff Court was told that Bvindi hit out because he thought he should have been the next inmate allowed on the table.

Solicitor Paul Ralph, defending, said: "Who would have known table tennis would lead to such violence?

"His position was that his rival had cut in front of him in terms of his turn on the table and that's what led to an argument."

The court also heard how Bvindi had committed a string of other crimes while he was behind bars awaiting deportation to Zimbabwe.

Whatever I do is not going to make the slightest bit of difference, because when he leaves prison he's going to Zimbabwe straight away Sheriff Michael Fletcher

He admitted indecently assaulting a prison health worker, groping a second member of staff and exposing himself to a third.

He also twice set fire to the bedding and mattress in his cells.

Bvindi has been awaiting deportation for several months but the UK has been unable to send him home because of on-going political unrest in Zimbabwe.

The court was told Bvindi had committed 12 offences around the Tayside area in the two years prior to being prepared for deportation.

He was placed on the Sex Offenders Register but was admonished on all charges because he will be deported straight from jail.

Sheriff Michael Fletcher said: "Whatever I do is not going to make the slightest bit of difference, because when he leaves prison he's going to Zimbabwe straight away."