One of Scotland's most dangerous prisoners is likely never to be freed after he admitted murdering a fellow inmate. James O'Rourke - already a convicted killer - choked to death Dean Ramsey, 30, in what a judge described as a "brutal execution".
The 52 year-old was then clocked shaking hands with other prisoners at HMP Glenochil in Clacks after the attack on January 9 2021. He boasted: "Just because I am old, he thinks I am dafty. Well, it cost him his life."
O'Rourke was today sentenced to a minimum 23 years after he pled guilty to a murder charge at the High Court in Glasgow. He has been behinds bars at various prisons since 1992.
This was after his first murder conviction for killing a man in Airdrie, Lanarkshire. In 1997, he was then sentenced to six years after a prison officer and a nurse were held hostage during an earlier stint at Glenochil.
O'Rourke was given another eight years in 2002 for assault and abduction then four years for further attack in 2004. He 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. Lord Arthurson today told him: "You are now 52. You come before this court with by far the worst criminal record I have encountered to date as a judge.
"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 had been seen chatting to each other before the killing.
Ramsey was described as "a quiet prisoner", who "kept himself to himself". He 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***ing tied him up and gave him the treatment."
O'Rourke was arrested and claimed he had not meant to kill Ramsey. He told police: "I am guilty here. No f***ing doubt."
Serial thug O'Rourke also said he was "gutted" for Ramsey's family. Thomas Ross QC, defending, today told the 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.
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