Prisoners demand a KFC and a bus to Barlinnie

Two inmates fashioned a weapon out of razor blades, took another prisoner hostage and made a list of demands including fast-food stops and a bus trip across Scotland to Barlinnie jail, a court heard yesterday.

The pair demanded a bus trip to Barlinnie Prison. Picture: Robert Perry

Andrew Kinloch and James Quinn created weapons known as “double whammys” with razor blades melted into plastic, and abducted fellow inmate Jason McLaren at Saughton jail in Edinburgh, the court was told.

Quinn told prison officers he wanted to speak to the governor about a transfer he had requested to Barlinnie in Glasgow. He outlined further demands including Kentucky Fried Chicken, a Chinese takeaway and tobacco as well as a bus to take the pair to the high security prison.

After negotiations, the men agreed to hand over one of their weapons for a quarter ounce of tobacco. The High Court in Edinburgh heard this marked the end of the five-hour stand-off as Kinloch and Quinn realised there was nothing more to be gained.

Advocate depute Douglas Fairley QC said: “They recognised that eventually they would be brought out by appropriately equipped officers.”

The pair were warned yesterday they could face life sentences after a judge ordered full risk assessment reports be carried out on them before sentencing to look at the danger they posed to the safety of the public.

Kinloch, 25, and Quinn, 27, admitted assaulting and abducting Jason McLaren at the Edinburgh jail on 12 June this year and repeatedly refusing to release him unless their demands were met.

They held their weapon to the victim’s throat, threats were made against him and he was confined in his cell by the pair for about five hours.

Lord Uist told them: “You have both pled guilty to a very serious offence committed in Saughton prison when you were serving prisoners, involving the abduction of another prisoner, the presentation of weapons to him and demanding transfer to another prison and making other demands.”

Quinn was jailed in 2008 for four years for a serious assault on a child and given a further four-year period on licence. He was jailed again earlier this year for possessing a weapon.

Kinloch was jailed in January this year for 33 months after conviction for three charges of robbery or attempted robbery.

Mr Fairley told the court Kinloch and Quinn were cellmates at Saughton. On the day of the siege they went into McLaren’s cell and Quinn put a weapon to his throat. He said they were not going to hurt him but had “to do this to get out the jail”.

A prison officer saw Quinn standing behind McLaren with one arm around his neck. With his other hand he was holding a blade to his neck.

Negotiators were brought in and Quinn said he wanted to go to a Glasgow jail because he had not had visits for ten months. Kinloch also said he wished to be moved to Barlinnie.

Mr Fairley said McLaren suffered a small injury to his neck.

Defence counsel Allan Macleod, for Kinloch, who is now in Greenock prison, said he had been transferred to the Edinburgh jail from Kilmarnock. Kinloch had a close relationship with his ill mother. She is from the Kilmarnock area and he wanted to be at the prison there.

Liam Ewing, for Quinn, said: “The reasons for his involvement in this matter are not readily discernible other than a general desire to be in a west coast jail.”