Spotlight on Sentencing
Here's another chap sent down for culpable homicide (manslaughter) who seems to be making a monkey out of the criminal justice system.
Simon Brown was sentenced to 8 years in prison after he and an accomplice were found guilty of killing John Carter (44) after dragging him out of an Edinburgh flat and attacking him.
Just for years later Brown absconds from an open prison while out on a home visit and is picked up in London, explaining that he was 'scared' to return to Castle Huntly because other prisoners had demanded he bring them back illicit goods.
Brown has a criminal record as long as your arm, according to this Scottish TV news report and until blotting his copybook was due to be released from prison on 30 August 2016.
The 'system' is a joke, if you ask me.
http://stv.tv/news/tayside/1350278-killer-who-fled-from-castle-huntly-found-500-miles-away/
Killer jailed for extra year after going on the run
STV News
Simon Brown, 45, was found in London after failing to return to Castle Huntly open prison
Simon Brown, 45, was found in London after failing to return to Castle Huntly open prison
Castle Huntly: Brown was allowed out of the jail in Tayside for a home visit (file pic).
A killer who was found in London after going on the run from Castle Huntly open prison over the festive period has had a year added to his sentence.
Simon Brown was allowed out of the jail for a home visit and was eventually found living in a hotel nearly 500 miles away.
The 45-year-old, who was described as a danger to the public, was jailed for eight years in 2012 for killing a man and dumping his partially clothed body in Edinburgh. He was granted the festive home visit three years into his sentence.
At Perth Sheriff Court, Brown was jailed for a further 12 months after he admitted being AWOL from Castle Huntly, near Dundee, between 29 December and 3 January.
Fiscal depute Sue Ruta told the court: "He has numerous convictions for theft, breach of court orders, burglary, forgery, possession of offensive weapons and failures to attend court."
"He has a culpable homicide conviction from 2012 and his earliest potential release date is 30 August this year.
"He was a prisoner at Castle Huntly at the time of this offence. He had been granted temporary release from December 27 to December 29.
"He was uplifted by G4S staff and conveyed to Seagate bus station in Dundee. On December 29 he failed to appear back at the bus station.
"His details were circulated to the press and police forces around the UK. Information came to light that he may be in a hotel in south west London. Officers were told he had recently left. He was traced nearby and initially gave police a false name."
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said Brown had chosen to go on the run because he was "vulnerable" behind bars and had been told to bring illicit items back into prison from his home leave.
Mr Holmes said he knew people in London and had gone there after deciding not to go back to the prison.
Sheriff Valerie Johnston said: "You caused police throughout the UK to be involved in an active search for you."
Brown and Paul Banks, 48, were both jailed for eight years in 2012 after they admitted killing John Carter, 44, by dragging him out of an Edinburgh flat and attacking him.
They were originally charged with murdering Mr Carter in February 2011 but pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of culpable homicide.
A killer who was found in London after going on the run from Castle Huntly open prison over the festive period has had a year added to his sentence.
Simon Brown was allowed out of the jail for a home visit and was eventually found living in a hotel nearly 500 miles away.
The 45-year-old, who was described as a danger to the public, was jailed for eight years in 2012 for killing a man and dumping his partially clothed body in Edinburgh. He was granted the festive home visit three years into his sentence.
At Perth Sheriff Court, Brown was jailed for a further 12 months after he admitted being AWOL from Castle Huntly, near Dundee, between 29 December and 3 January.
Fiscal depute Sue Ruta told the court: "He has numerous convictions for theft, breach of court orders, burglary, forgery, possession of offensive weapons and failures to attend court."
"He has a culpable homicide conviction from 2012 and his earliest potential release date is 30 August this year.
"He was a prisoner at Castle Huntly at the time of this offence. He had been granted temporary release from December 27 to December 29.
"He was uplifted by G4S staff and conveyed to Seagate bus station in Dundee. On December 29 he failed to appear back at the bus station.
"His details were circulated to the press and police forces around the UK. Information came to light that he may be in a hotel in south west London. Officers were told he had recently left. He was traced nearby and initially gave police a false name."
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said Brown had chosen to go on the run because he was "vulnerable" behind bars and had been told to bring illicit items back into prison from his home leave.
Mr Holmes said he knew people in London and had gone there after deciding not to go back to the prison.
Sheriff Valerie Johnston said: "You caused police throughout the UK to be involved in an active search for you."
Brown and Paul Banks, 48, were both jailed for eight years in 2012 after they admitted killing John Carter, 44, by dragging him out of an Edinburgh flat and attacking him.
They were originally charged with murdering Mr Carter in February 2011 but pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of culpable homicide.
