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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Mark Naylor & Sam Ormiston

Murderer causes £32,000 worth of damage to cell because 'toilet too close to his bed'

A brutal killer jailed for the horrific murder of a 94-year-old care home resident later caused £32,000 worth of damage to high security prison cell.

Violent criminal Scott Sorby believed that the toilets in some of the cells at Full Sutton Prison were too close to his bed.

He is currently serving a minimum sentence of 24 years after being jailed in February 2012 for murder and the attempted rape of his frail victim.

Sorby battered a defenceless elderly woman and dragged her into her bathroom after breaking into a care home in January 2011.

She later died in hospital from pneumonia brought on by the attack, Hull Live reports.

Sorby, 32, appeared before a court in Hull via a video link from Full Sutton Prison (jaharland)

The judge in the murder case had condemned the offences "truly dreadful" and branded Sorby "damaged and dangerous".

Sorby, 32, appeared before Hull Crown Court via a video link from the jail near Pocklington, East Yorkshire, and admitted three offences of criminal damage in cells there.

Stephen Welch, prosecuting, said that, at the time, Sorby was upset because he had been put on a basic regime after damaging the property of another prisoner.

In the first incident, he "caused damage to everything in his cell" on June 30 last year - leaving a damage bill of £10,933.

On July 20 last year, he damaged a second cell, to the value of £12,970 and, on September 6, caused damage estimated at £671 to a window and £7,487 to a cell. The total bill for damage was more than £32,063.

"It was a revenge attack," said Mr Welch. "The defendant has done this because he was unhappy about his treatment by the prison."

Sorby had convictions for 42 previous offences, including the murder case, when he was aged just 20, at Bradford Crown Court in February 2012 and linked offences of attempted rape, robbery and burglary.

Sorby appeared before Hull Crown Court via a video link (BPM MEDIA)

He had been jailed for four-and-a-half years at Leeds Crown Court in June 2008 for attempted rape. He had seven convictions for burglary.

Sorby had been given 12-week sentences, concurrent to his minimum life term, at Durham Crown Court in March last year for three offences of criminal damage to cells at Frankland Prison, on the outskirts of Durham.

Victoria Smith-Swain, mitigating, said that Sorby had struggled to regulate his emotions and his problems with certain prison cells. He was "fixated" with the idea that a toilet in his cell was too close to the bed.

"He struggles with certain environments," said Miss Smith-Swain. "There was an intention to cause very serious damage to property."

Sorby wanted to express his regret to the prison and to taxpayers for the "wasted costs" in repairing the damage. "He wishes to express his remorse," said Miss Smith-Swain.

"Since these offences, he has been putting a lot of effort into addressing his behaviour.

There have been no further incidents in the last 10 months. He is doing his best to try to change his behaviour."

Judge John Thackray QC told Sorby: "This is taxpayers' money. This money could have been used for the most vulnerable in society but, instead, the money has been spent on repairing the devastation that you caused.

"There needs to be a consecutive sentence to deter you and others from continuing to commit offences like this. There is an element of revenge, certainly shades of revenge.

"There was an intention to cause very serious damage. At the time of these offences, you were in low mood and finding your circumstances difficult."

Sorby was jailed for two years, to run consecutively to the minimum 24 years that he is currently serving for murder.

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