A convicted murderer has been jailed for another 23 years after choking a fellow prison inmate to death in a “brutal execution”.
James O’Rourke, who is described as one of Scotland’s most dangerous prisoners, has already been behind bars for 30 years for a string of offences since he was originally convicted for killing a man in Airdrie in 1992.
He received the latest sentence after he admitted murdering fellow prisoner Dean Ramsey at HMP Glenochil on January 9 2021.
A High Court judge told O’Rourke he has “by far the worst criminal record I have encountered”.
O’Rourke – who is likely never to be freed – choked the 30-year-old to death, and was then clocked shaking hands with other prisoners.
He boasted: “Just because I am old, he thinks I am dafty. Well, it cost him his life.”
The 52-year-old was yesterday sentenced to a minimum 23 years after he pled guilty to a murder charge at the High Court in Glasgow.
After O’Rourke was first jailed for the Airdrie murder, he was then sentenced to six years in 1997 after a prison officer and a nurse were held hostage during a stint at Glenochil.
He was given another eight years in 2002 for assault and abduction, then four years for a further attack in 2004, and was next sentenced to eight years in 2005 for stabbing a prison escort and a senior jail official at HMP Kilmarnock.
O’Rourke was finally handed a nine-year term in 2019 after attempting to murder another prisoner at the same jail.
Passing sentence yesterday, Lord Arthurson told him: “This crime can be categorised as the callous, remorseless and entirely brutal execution of a fellow prisoner.”
The court heard how O’Rourke and Ramsey – described as “a quiet prisoner” who “kept himself to himself” – had been seen chatting to each other before the killing and Ramsey was seen going into O’Rourke’s cell at 10.49am that morning.
Prosecutor Greg Farrell said: “This is the last sighting on CCTV of Ramsey alive.
"Only he and O’Rourke are in the cell at this time.”
Around 10 minutes later, the killer left, wiped his head and hands before chatting to another inmate. He then initially confessed to a guard that he had “hurt someone”.
Prison officers went to find a bleeding Ramsey lying in the cell with his wrists bound and a ligature around his neck.
Mr Farrell: “One officer saw O’Rourke shaking hands with other inmates and overheard him telling them, ‘that’s me away.’”
Attempts were made to help Ramsey at the jail before he was rushed to hospital - he never recovered and died two days later having suffered an unsurvivable brain injury.
O’Rourke was described as “calm” after the murder and admitted he had used a “line” to kill Ramsey, referring to a torn bed sheet used to strangle him.
He was allowed to call his mother and told her, “I f****** tied him up and gave him the treatment.”
He was arrested and claimed he had not meant to kill Ramsey.
He told police: “I am guilty here. No f****** doubt.”
Serial thug O’Rourke also said he was “gutted” for Ramsey’s family.
Thomas Ross QC, defending, told the high court: “He accepts, by tendering the guilty plea, that he is committing himself to spending the rest of his life in custody.”
Lord Arthurson cut the punishment part of the life sentence from 25 years due to O’Rourke admitting to the murder.
Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Head on over and give us a like and share!
