Murderer who plotted gun attack on prison officer jailed

A convicted murderer who sought revenge on a prison officer who “left him to die” by having him “seriously assaulted” with a handgun has been jailed.

Robert Paterson, 45, was given a ten-and-a-half-year sentence on Thursday for an incident which happened when he was serving a life sentence at HMP Saughton on November 15, 2022.

The court heard how he told a staff member in the early hours that he needed an ambulance because he had taken cocaine and thought he was having a heart attack.

But judge Lord Harrower heard the guard grew suspicious after he saw Paterson remove a SIM card from a mobile phone and swallow it.

The officer was also concerned about Paterson’s history – he was jailed in 2012 on a conspiracy charge – this related to a plan to escape from jail whilst being treated for health issues at hospital.

The officer was also concerned because an ambulance had arrived at the Edinburgh jail, which hadn’t been ordered by prison staff.

The court heard how this prompted the guard to agree with paramedics to keep Paterson for observations at the jail before sending the inmate to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary at 8am.

Doctors then found that Paterson had seven bags of cocaine present in his abdomen, which medics thought might burst and put his health at risk. This caused them to remove the drugs.

The court heard that prison officials became increasingly concerned about Paterson’s behaviour and in February 2023, police started bugging his cell.

Mr Cameron added: “Over that period, Paterson repeatedly made reference to the man who ‘left me to die’ and made it clear that he did not intend to let the matter lie. He spoke to several people about different aspects of his plan.

“Much of the discussion centred around a handgun to which he could provide access and the need to find the right size of ammunition for that gun.

“He identified an individual who said that they were willing to assault the officer for him and discussed with that individual the requirement for a vehicle and a driver to assist him.

“On one occasion, he was heard to say that he identified someone to do the staff member.

“Fortunately, the police intervened and no attempt was actually made to assault the officer who was entirely unaware of the matter until told about it by Scottish Prison Service staff and police.”

The story emerged earlier this year after Paterson pleaded guilty to a charge which stated that between January 28, 2023, and February 14, 2023, Paterson directed men called Sean McGregor and Donald Stone and “others” to supply drugs into HMP Edinburgh.

He also directed Stone and McGregor and others to “rob others of controlled drugs, watches, and a sum of money. Paterson also admitted directing “others” to assault the prison officer and for “that purpose” obtain a handgun, a ammo, and a vehicle.

Stone pleaded guilty to being involved “in serious organised crime and did agree with others to do something you knew or suspected or ought reasonably to have known or suspected would enable or further the commission of serious organised crime.” He was going to supply drugs into HMP Edinburgh.

McGregor admitted to a charge of arranging to carry out an “assault and robbery of drugs from others,” and he was going to pass on the address of the property in order “to facilitate” the robbery. The sentence was deferred for the court to obtain reports on the men.

On Thursday, the trio appeared before Lord Harrower again for sentencing.

Passing sentence, Lord Harrower imposed a 15-month long term on McGregor for the offence to which he pleaded guilty.

The court heard that he had been released on licence from a jail term when he committed this crime. He had 442 days left to serve. Lord Harrower ordered him to serve this unserved portion before starting the 15-month term.

Stone was given a 63-month sentence for his crimes.

Passing sentence, Lord Harrower addressed Paterson about his plan for the prison officer, whom he called XY.

He said: “XY acted entirely appropriately throughout. As a matter of fact, there was nothing in his behaviour that required to be avenged.”

Paterson was given life for shooting dead a man on a Cumbernauld street in 2008.

In 2012, he was given another three years by judge Lord Bracadale at the High Court in Glasgow.

On that occasion, the court heard how two other men intended to help Paterson escape from custody on January 17, 2012, during a visit from Shotts Prison to Wishaw Hospital.

But the police were tipped off about the scheme and used undercover surveillance to foil it.

At previous proceedings in the present case, Mr Cameron told the court of how Paterson reacted when he was returned to jail from hospital.

Mr Cameron said: “He was extremely unhappy about the delay in him being sent to hospital and subsequently made a complaint about the prison authorities in which he claimed that he had been told at hospital that he was lucky to be alive.

“He also formed a personal animus towards the officer whom he blamed for the delay in him being sent to hospital.

“Ultimately, he decided that he would seek revenge upon the officer by having him seriously assaulted.

“To advance this plan he made contact with people both within and outside the prison – the latter by means of non prison issue mobile telephones which he possessed.”

On Friday, Mr Cameron told the court that Stone and McGregor’s in their co-accused’s crimes, were picked up during the time police were bugging Paterson’s cell.

The advocate depute said there was “routine discussion” of supplying drugs by others “at his direction”. The scam being headed by Paterson involved valium tablets and evidence suggested that “thousands of pounds” were “changing hands”.

Police learned that Stone was supplying drugs to Saughton on Paterson’s behalf.

The court heard that on February 4, McGregor made contact with Paterson to say that he and other men had gone to a cannabis farm.

Mr Cameron added: “They pretended to be police officers, which caused the owners to flee, and they took a quantity of cannabis.

“Paterson agreed to buy the cannabis from McGregor and subsequently made contact with another individual to arrange that.”

On Thursday, Paterson’s lawyer, Thomas Ross KC, told the court that his client’s guilty plea saved court time.

The court heard that the plea also saved witnesses from being inconvenienced by having to give up their regular activities and give evidence.