Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Unusual, That

Murderer found in prison

Castle Huntly seems to be the comedy prison par exellence.

Perth Sheriff Court was told Moran, originally from Glasgow, had been allowed out for a festive visit by the prison authorities and had gone out drinking at Christmas 2004. The prison authorities heard he had been consuming alcohol during his home visit and withdrew his licence, asking him to hand himself in to Barlinnie prison in Glasgow.

There's a good chap.

But instead he simply disappeared to the Gloucester area and changed his name to avoid being re-arrested. While he was on the run from his life sentence, Moran carried out a serious indecent assault and was jailed for three years in Gloucester.

The report on Castle Huntly says that they attempt to "prepare prisoners to go back into the community which means they are less likely to return to criminal behaviour."

Shouldn't they remove the words "to criminal behaviour" ? That would be more accurate.

It continues "While prison work sheds and work parties were until recently particularly productive, most of these activities have now foundered. Meanwhile levels of recreational drug misuse remain unacceptably high."

So they're not doing anything except drugs, eh ? Not surprising, really. It was at Castle Huntly that Ian McLaughlan ran his drug operations from his cell, and it was Castle Huntly that Alan Wright would leave at night to commit burglary and car theft - to pay his drug debts.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Reading the links...

"The drugs and paraphernalia were behind skirting boards in [Ian] McLaughlan's toilet at Castle Huntly prison, Perthshire."

Skirting boards? Dont they think about this sort of thing at the design stage?

"The court heard how [Alan]Wright's long-term drug problem had been made worse by a lax prison regime which had given him easy access to drugs."

Easy access to drugs, not difficult access - or how about trying for no access at all?

Anonymous said...

You have to wonder why on earth he escaped - sentenced to 15 years in 1989, he would be released in 2004/5. The Home Office is hardly renowned for holding prisoners even one day after the (absolute) minimum tariff has been 'served'.

I also assume the 3 years for the other crime has been served concurrently, so it is no punishment at all. As for the "60 days" (out in 30), it is laughable

Anonymous said...

Has anyone ever collated the actual terms served by 'life' offenders? Whenever a judge says that so-and-so must serve a minimum of 15 years, isn't it in reality a maximum of 15 years?

I would gamble a fair sum that the actual term served was comfortably within a year of the supposed minimum. We all know sentences are a cynical deception, but it would be useful to have solid proof.