An inmate of Castle Huntly open prison who failed to return from home leave and ended up in a pub is back behind bars.
Perth Sheriff Court heard Paul Stewart, 44, had been granted a five-day pass to return home to Dumbarton on January 10.
He missed his scheduled train on January 15 and instead visited a city centre pub while prison authorities made several attempts to contact him on his mobile phone.
Depute Fiscal John Malpass said: “Staff at HM Open Prison at Castle Huntly were alerted and they phoned the accused several times on his mobile phone but he didn’t answer it.”
The court heard Stewart phoned police on January 16 to say he was handing himself in.
His solicitor, Kenny Clark said the incident was an “aberration”.
“My client had been due to come before a parole board but once they heard about this incident he realises that will not happen and it would be a futile exercise,” he said.
“My client missed his train, simply panicked and went to a Glasgow pub.”
Stewart admitted that having been granted home leave he failed to return to HMP Castle Huntly on January 15 and attempted to defeat the ends of justice.
He was sentenced to 12 months in prison by Sheriff Lindsay Foulis.
