Murderer escaped guards during hospital visit from prison

A killer threatened to slit a custody officer’s throat in an escape bid during a hospital visit from jail where he is serving a life sentence.

James Demarco was at Perth Royal Infirmary when he assaulted Geo Amey officers on September 25 last year.

The 34-year-old was jailed for life in 2007 after he murdered Jamie Ewart, 18, in a knife attack at a house party in Edinburgh and ordered to serve a minimum term of 15 years before he can seek release.

The following year he was jailed for a further 45 months after he ordered a “hit” from prison and listened in by phone from Saughton prison as the victim screamed during the machete attack.

Demarco, who has 11 convictions for assault on his criminal record, was handcuffed to a female custody officer when he caused her to fall down a set of stairs and hit her head.

He threatened to slit her throat and demanded she removed his handcuffs.

A second officer came to his colleague’s aid and put Demarco in a headlock but the killer bit him on the forearm and repeatedly struck him before breaking free.

He ran out of the hospital towards a car park and saw a woman, who had attended for an appointment with her four-year-old daughter, and demanded to know where her car was and her car keys.

He ripped her clothing and she screamed before Demarco fled. Police found him at a cemetery after they were alerted by 999 calls.

When he was caught and charged, he responded: “Like that will make a difference to my life sentence.”

The court heard that the female guard required stitches to a head wound and suffered headaches after the attack on her.

Demarco admitted attempting to defeat the ends of justice by threatening violence towards the custody officers, compelling them to release him from handcuffs and making good his escape.

He also pled guilty to assaulting the female guard to her severe injury and permanent disfigurement at the hospital by causing her fall down a set of stairs and hit her head, pinning her to the ground and compressing her chest and neck.

He admitted assaulting the male guard by biting him and repeatedly striking him on the head and attempting to rob the woman visitor to the hospital by demanding she hand over car keys.

Defence counsel Tony Lenehan said it was not a premeditated attempt to escape by Demarco.

He said: “It was not something where there were people waiting. It was not something where there was a plan.

“He gets as far as the cemetery where he lies down and the police found him behind a hedge.

He said Demarco has “effectively spent his entire adult life in prison” and had, until recently, resigned himself to a life in jail.

“The events of this day began with him becoming intoxicated at his own hand within the prison,” said Mr Lenehan who said Demarco was stumbling about on his feet and pulled over the officer escorting him to hospital before trying to take advantage of the situation.

He told the court that there has been “a sea change” in Demarco’s behaviour in prison now and he was further seeking information from staff, including the governor.

Judge Fiona Tait deferred sentence on Demarco to receive reports from Perth prison until August 23.