Paterson pleaded guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh, of calling in accomplices to get a handgun and ammunition but the plot was disrupted by police. Sentencing him, Lord Harrower described the action of the prison officer as having been done "entirely appropriately".There was nothing in his conduct, he said, needed to be avenged.It was heard in the court that after Paterson stated that he was suffering heart attack, an ambulance reached out to the jail which was not requested by the prison officials.
The guard did not trust the prisoner because he tried to scheme an earlier escape in 2012 where he would be hospitalized.The officer also observed Paterson take out a sim card of a mobile phone and take it into his mouth and chew.The paramedics had agreed with him to keep an eye on Paterson in the jail and before he was taken within the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary hours later.
Prosecutor Alan Cameron KC told the court that Paterson has subsequently complained that medics had told him that there was a danger of the contents of the cocaine sacks exploding in his belly.Said Mr Cameron: He was very displeased at the delay. He argued that he heard someone at hospital to say I am lucky to be alive.He determined that he would have revenge on the officer in making him to be attacked severely.
The prison officers were worried about the behaviour of Paterson and in February 2023 an undercover surveillance device was put in his cell.Paterson was caught in some record in which he was talking about a plan to attack the prison officer.Fortunately, the police came in between and no one tried actually to attack the officer, who was completely unaware, as Mr Cameron added.
Particulars of the scheme came to light earlier this year when Paterson had pleaded separately that he had instructed two men - Sean McGregor and Donald Stone - and other unnamed accomplices to deliver drugs into the jail.He instructed them to steal people drugs, watches and some amount of money.
Cumbernauld shooting
Lord Harrower sentenced these two men too.Stone was convicted guilty of engaging in serious organised crime. He got a five-year and three months prison sentence.McGregor had confessed organizing to commit an assault and robbery and was sentenced to one year and three months in jail. He was also sentenced to serve an additional one year and two months of unserved sentence in another earlier conviction, once he committed the crime when he was out on licence.
Paterson was serving a murder in prison at HMP Edinburgh after shooting a man in Cumbernauld in 2008.In 2012 he received another three years following an unsuccessful escape attemptDuring a visit by Shotts Prison to Wishaw Hospital, Paterson intended to escape custody.However, police received a tip off and identified him with disguised surveillance.