A murderer who left a prison officer scarred for life during a botched escape attempt has been caught with an illicit mobile phone in his cell.
James Demarco appeared at Perth Sheriff Court via video link from the city jail on his 35th birthday.
He admitted having a mobile phone and unauthorised SIM card at the prison on June 6 this year, while he was awaiting sentence for a violent break-out bid.
In August, he had another 40 months added to his life sentence after he admitted permanently disfiguring a prison guard and injuring another while trying to escape custody during a visit to Perth Royal Infirmary.
Demarco was later captured hiding in nearby Wellshill Cemetary.
Representing himself during Friday’s hearing before Sheriff Clair McLachlan, Demarco said he had the phone “to keep in touch with my missus.”
He added: “But obviously I shouldn’t have had it.”
Prosecutor Stuart Hamilton said the killer’s cell was subject to a routine search.
“He was asked if he had anything illicit that staff should no about,” the fiscal depute said.
“He said he had a phone and handed it over.
“It was a Nokia device with a SIM card inside.”
Demarco, jailed in 2017 for murdering 18-year-old Jamie Ewart at house party in Edinburgh, said he lost privileges for 14 days.
When asked if he knew when he might be freed, Demarco said: “My release date was two-and-a-half years ago, so no.”
Sheriff McLachlan told him: “Clearly there are a limited sentencing options available to the court.
“This is an offence that the court takes a very dim view of.”
She imposed a six month sentence, which will run alongside his current jail term.
Goaded police after crash
A Dundee man who crashed his partner’s car and went on a racist tirade before producing a baseball bat and goading police into tasering him has been jailed.
Charles Christie appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court via a video link from Perth Prison.
The 42-year-old, of Baldovie Road in Dundee, admitted three charges of threatening or abusive behaviour and a charge of culpable and reckless driving all dating back to March 23 this year.
At Lismore Terrace, he admitted losing control of his partner’s car and colliding with a parked vehicle, damaging it.
When the car’s owner and another witness arrived, he shouted and swore, called one a “Polish pr*ck,” brandished a metal baseball bat and struck it on the ground.
He punched and kicked the vehicle while his partner was inside.
Christie was traced by police on Craigmore Street in a front garden and immediately became hostile.
He challenged police to fight and threatened to fetch a baseball bat.
Christie then entered the property and returned with a two-foot metal pole which he brandished and started advancing towards police.
When officers produced a taser, he returned inside and snuck out the property’s rear door.
Police eventually found him in another house in the street, hiding in a bedroom wardrobe.
He moved onto a bed and goaded police into discharging their taser before being taken to West Bell Street HQ.
At the time of the offence, Christie was on three separate bail orders.
Solicitor Jim Caird said: “He moved his partner’s car and lost his temper.”
Christie, who has been on remand since March 25, was jailed for eight months.
Probe into Loch Tay tragedy
A Perthshire hotel boss died after getting trapped in the cab of a JCB when it toppled off a pier.
Locals launched a desperate rescue effort when they saw the machine plunging into Loch Tay near the Ardeonaig Hotel, Killin.
Manager Gregor Deakin had been using the excavator to work on improvements to the jetty, a fatal accident inquiry heard.
Efforts were made to free the 48-year-old father-of-two from the submerged vehicle.
But he was pronounced dead at the pier-side after his lifeless body was recovered by firefighters.
The tragedy happened on the afternoon of October 6 2021.
Blade after dark
A 35-year-old Fife man who was seen holding an eight inch blade in a street after midnight has been given a structured deferred sentence.
John Briggs appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for sentencing after earlier pleading guilty to having a knife without reasonable excuse or lawful authority at Kinnell Road, Inverkeithing, on January 1 this year.
Prosecutor Azrah Yousaf told the court it was around 12.15am when Briggs was seen outside in the street by a member of the public holding a knife or meat cleaver.
Police were contacted and Briggs, who previously lived in the same street but now lives in Doward Drive, Crail, ran off.
He was not found with anything in his possession and appeared intoxicated.
But a knife with a blade of approximately 20cm – just under 8ins – was later recovered in a garden area, the fiscal said.
Defence lawyer Stephen Morrison said there did not seem to be any particular reason why Briggs was out on the street with the weapon.
Mr Morrison said Briggs was heavily under the influence and his recollection is “not particularly good”.
Sheriff Garry Sutherland gave Briggs a 12-week structured deferred sentence.
Thug groped officer
An Arbroath thug who unleashed a tirade of violent and racist abuse towards police and groped a female officer has been sentenced.
Police responding to calls about an aggressive male in the street found Gary Brown near his Elm Hill home and leg restraints and a spit hood were applied.
But he managed to grope and spit on one PC and tried to bite another.
He went on to spew vile racist abuse inside a police van and exposed his anus at officers.
Brown, 49, previously appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court to admit four charges.
Returning to the dock after meeting with social workers, Brown was placed under supervision for a year and on the sex offenders register for as long.
He was also placed on a 7pm to 7am curfew for 135 days by Sheriff Mark Thorley.
Solicitor Billy Rennie said: “He’s aware there’s a risk of custody.
“The offences merit, clearly, punishment in some form.
“This does seem to be an isolated offence in terms of recent years.”
Pervert’s Snapchat breach
An Angus paedophile who broke a strict court order by using Snapchat has been jailed.
Christopher Sloan pled guilty to breaching the Sexual Harm Prevention Order just a fortnight after it was imposed by Forfar Sheriff Court.
He appeared from custody and admitted using the social media app – which deletes communication history automatically – to chat with someone a court had ordered him not to contact just days earlier.
Sloan was previously placed on the sex offenders register after being caught with 14 hours of depraved child abuse footage.
For more local court content visit our page or join us on Facebook.
