A violent prisoner who absconded from Castle Huntly, sparking a nationwide manhunt, was found camping on the west coast of Scotland.
Martin Jackson bought himself a tent after disappearing from the open jail in August last year.
Perth Sheriff Court heard how he had failed to return from day release, after being spooked by strangers at a bus station.
Members of the public were warned not to approach Jackson, who was serving a five year sentence for a gruesome golf club assault.
The 33-year-old appeared via video link and admitted a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
He was sentenced to a further 10 months behind bars.
Day release
Fiscal depute Lee-Anne Barclay, prosecuting, said: “The accused had been moved from HMP Shotts to Castle Huntly in May 2024.
“He had been subject to two previous day release opportunities and numerous placements with a landscaping company, with no issue.”
She said: “At about 7.30am on August 28, the accused was authorised for day release and left Castle Huntly to catch a bus to Dundee from the Longforgan slip road.
“He was thereafter to catch a train to Ayr for a 12pm appointment with social workers.”
Ms Barclay said Jackson was due back at 6.30pm but failed to return.
Staff called police to report him missing later that evening and attempts to call his mobile went straight to voicemail.
The fiscal depute said he was eventually traced and arrested over the weekend and appeared on petition on Monday September 2.
She confirmed prosecutors did not know where he had been.
Being watched and followed
Solicitor Robert Logan, defending, said: “There were a rather unusual set of circumstances.
“He had been doing particularly well on his placements but there were difficulties with his unsupervised release days.
“On the one immediately preceding this incident, he had been convinced he was being watched by others and followed.”
When he was released for the appointment in Ayr, he again believed he was being closely observed by people at a bus station.
Mr Logan confirmed his client had made it to the social work meeting.
“When he got back to the bus station, he thought he saw the same individuals again.
“He went to a local camping store and bought a tent.”
Jackson walked down a coastal pathway, a historic pilgrim’s trail, towards Cairnryan.
“There he met a member of the public and told him what he was doing.
“He walked on and not surprisingly that member of the public phoned the police.”
Jackson surrendered when he was later approached by officers.
Mr Logan said prison bosses were asked about concerns Jackson had about being watched and they were “satisfied that he wasn’t being paranoid”.
“Whether that means his concerns were real or not, I don’t know,” the solicitor said.
“Obviously there are other steps he should have taken.
“He is perfectly aware he should not have done things this way.”
Absconded to clear his head
Sheriff Jennifer Bain KC told Jackson: “I take into account that you had previously returned from similar release days.
“This appears to have been opportunistic. However, I have to mark the gravity of what you did.
“It is clear that considerable resources had to be deployed to return you to custody.”
She said: “It is submitted to me that you felt a degree of threat and you absconded to clear your head.”
The sheriff said he should have reported any threats to authorities.
Jackson was jailed for 62 months in March 2022.
Glasgow High Court heard how he whacked a man with a golf club in a row over a sleeping baby.
His victim suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain.
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