A drug-user narrowly avoided prison after he admitted stabbing a mum in front of her children - with a syringe.
Roy Smalley, 50, jabbed the victim in the arm with the hypodermic needle as she waited for a train at Manchester Victoria station.
Smalley jabbed the 30-year-old mum in the top of her arm on August 3 last year, but initially tried claiming it was an accident.
Wigan and Leigh magistrates' court heard that the victim had to wait an agonising three months for blood tests to see if she had been infected.
Smalley, from Wigan, claimed that the needle must have been poking through his pocket, but pleaded guilty to assault by beating.
Prosecutors described Smalley's actions as 'reckless, naive and unintentional', suggesting he had not meant to injure anyone.
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He was given a four-week jail term suspended for 12 months.
Smalley must also pay his victim £200 in compensation.
The bench told him: "You have a lengthy record of offending and on this occasion as a direct result of your drug misuse you have recklessly caused an injury to an innocent third party who was with her children at the time.
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"Luckily any tests that were necessary as a result of this lady being pierced with one of your needles have been negative.
"That could easily have not been the case."
The bad weather could be over - it's expected to get a lot warmer in Greater Manchester next week
