Three months extra jail for runaway killer

Published on Wednesday 7 October 2009 10:11

A CONVICTED killer, who became separated from his minder in the Festival crowds on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, was traced, but challenged an officer to a fight when taken to a police station.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday, Alan Smith, 41, was jailed for three months for breach of the peace. Smith was jailed for eight years in August 2005 after a murder charge – for killing his stepfather – was reduced to culpable homicide because of diminished responsibility.

On 7 August this year, Smith was released on licence under close supervision. He had to live in a hostel and was only allowed out for four hours a day in the company of a minder.

On 17 August, he became separated from his minder on the Royal Mile. He was found later on Leith Walk. In St Leonard's police station, he became aggressive, threatened an officer and challenged him to fight.

Sheriff Kenneth Maciver was told that Smith's licence had been revoked and he had been returned to prison for the remainder of his sentence, due to end in 2013.