A notorious north-east sex offender who abducted and tried to rape a 13-year-old papergirl has appeared in court again after he sexually assaulted a female prison officer in his cell.
James Murison, 59, was jailed in 2007 after he forced the papergirl into his Huntly home and tied her up before sexually assaulting her until police arrived.
Falkirk Sheriff Court heard the assault on the prison officer occurred at top security Glenochil Prison in Clackmannanshire in February last year and came after three incidents of Murison “parading naked” round the jail.
The court was told that on November 3 2020, Murison had emerged naked from the showers in front of seven prison officers.
Prosecutor Katie Cunningham said he walked out naked into the communal recreation area and was told to cover up, but replied that he “didn’t give a f**k” and continued to walk around naked, ignoring warders and a proffered towel, and had to be escorted back to his cell.
A few days later he repeated his behaviour, wandering naked round the recreation area until he was covered with a towel by warders and put into his cell again.
He was punished by the jail governor, but around 9.45 am on November 18 2020 he again came out of the shower, wandered round the recreation area naked, and then walked up to the staff desk and stood with his hands on his hips, looking towards two female warders.
He was again covered and put back in his cell.
Miss Cunningham said: “When asked about his actions, he said he had been behaving in such a manner as he wanted to go to [the State hospital] Carstairs.”
Lunged at prison officer
On February 15 2021, he was being visited in his cell in Glenochil Prison’s Abercrombie Hall by two members of prison staff after he had been again refusing to put clothes on.
He eventually did get dressed, and sat on his bed while a 58-year-old woman warder stood in front of him and another officer stood at the door.
Miss Cunningham said: “He spoke about committing suicide and the conversation continued this way for about five minutes.
“Then he unexpectedly stood up from the bed, lunged forward, and grabbed [the officer’s] vagina over her trousers.”
The other officer immediately grabbed him and restrained him on the bed, while the female officer, said to be “in shock”, stepped back and pressed her alarm.
Murison was restrained by several officers and escorted to the segregation unit.
Due to his “continued disregard for the rules and continued offences against staff” he was then moved to Saughton Prison, Edinburgh.
There, on May 10 2021 he again left the showers naked and was told to cover up.
Miss Cunnningham said: “He refused to comply and began walking along the corridor towards [three woman officers] and began to masturbate in their direction while looking at them and smirking.”
He was escorted to his cell, and police were called in.
Admits prison sexual assault
Appearing by video link, Murison pleaded guilty to sexual assault, statutory breach of the peace, and causing others to be present while engaging in sexual activity.
Defence solicitor John Hardie said Murison had been jailed for eight years in 2007 plus an eight-year extension, and even without a further sentence for his latest crimes will have served “the full 16 years” before being due for release.
He said: “He has been at liberty for only two weeks, in 2014, before he was recalled to the extended part of the sentence.
“The circumstances of the recall are that he walked into a police station wearing a coat that was marked on the back ‘Property of HMP Peterhead’.
“He said he had been given it on his release, but he was charged with the theft of that coat. While protesting his innocence, he was charged with breach of the peace.
“No proceedings were taken, but he was returned to custody and has been there ever since.”
Of the latest offences, Mr Hardie said: “He is of the view that he wasn’t in his right mind at the time of them.”
Sheriff Simon Collins QC said it was “inevitable” that a custodial sentence consecutive of Murison’s current sentence would have to be imposed.
He deferred sentence, however, until March 9th for a social work report into the possibility of an eventual supervised release order.
Murison was a first-time offender when he was jailed for the abduction at his then home in Huntly’s Bogie Street.
The former painter and decorator forced the girl into his house, made her strip, put a pillowcase over her head and sexually assaulted her.
The distraught youngster was eventually rescued after neighbours heard her screaming as she tried to escape through a bedroom window.
