Marmion pub killer caught with mobile phone for 12th time in prison

James Bain is serving 22 years for the killing of Alexander McKinnon in the Gracemount bar in 2006.

Marmion pub killer James Bain caught with mobiles

It was discovered during a routine search by prison staff.

They found a wooden box with a false bottom in it which is where Bain had stashed the phone.

He claimed to have had it smuggled in so he could call his family.

He was given a nine-month sentence by Sheriff Linda Nicolson but told it will run alongside his current life term for blasting Alexander McKinnon in the Edinburgh pub.

Depute fiscal Mairi-Clare McMillan said: "This occurred at approximately 10:30am when prison officers were searching the accused's cell.

"He was the sole occupant of that cell and was in another part of the prison when the search took place.

"During the search a number of electrical devices were seized and put through an x-ray machine.

"A wooden box was found and it appeared to have a false bottom and that was put through the x-ray machine and it was discovered that a mobile phone was within and the matter reported."

Jackson Bateman, defending, said: "He is currently serving a significant sentence for murder.

"His explanation is that there were certain difficulties involving his family and, stupidly, rather than using official phones took the decision to utilise this illegal phone."

Bain was caged in 2007 after shooting ex- boxing champion Mr McKinnon with a sawn-off shotgun and attempting to murder his brother-in-law James Hendry during the same attack.

In 2010, it became a crime to smuggle a mobile into jail but no one has been caught as often as Bain.

Between October 2011 and September 2013, he was caught six times at three prisons with smuggled devices and was last caught in October 2017.