Man who seriously injured a prison guard during an escape attempt is sentenced to prison

A man who permanently disfigured a prison guard and injured another during a botched prison escape has been sentenced to prison.

James Demarco was admitted to Perth Royal Infirmary for an X-ray appointment on September 25, 2023, when he attempted to escape, injuring two people and attempting to rob a woman's car in the car park.

The 34-year-old was handcuffed to a GEOAmey employee when he knocked her down halfway up a staircase and then pushed her to the ground with his knee on her chest and neck, causing her head to hit the floor.

Demarco then demanded that the handcuffs be removed and threatened to “cut” the woman's throat. The second GEOAmey officer immediately removed the handcuffs from Demarco before tackling him to the ground and putting him in a headlock to restrain him.

The prisoner then bit the man on the arm, elbowed him in the back of the head and punched him several times before fleeing. He found his way to the parking lot and met a woman carrying her four-year-old daughter. He shouted: “Where is your car? Give me your car keys.”

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When the woman called for help, Demarco grabbed her bag, ripped it open and ran away without the keys.

A witness to the attempted robbery called police on 999, whereupon the accused ran towards Wellshill Cemetery, north of the hospital, where police found him and took him to Perth Police Station.

When accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice, he replied: “As if that would affect my life sentence, ha ha ha ha.”

Both detainees were taken to the emergency department at Perth Royal Infirmary and the officer was left permanently disfigured, suffering a six centimetre long laceration to her scalp as well as bruising and soft tissue injuries.

Her male colleague had bruising on his face and eyes, a small cut in the eye socket, soft tissue injuries and a superficial bite mark on his arm.

Demarco pleaded guilty to four charges at the High Court in Edinburgh: attempted obstruction of justice, assault occasioning serious injury, permanent disfigurement, assault and attempted robbery.

He was sentenced to 40 months in prison and Moira Orr, who heads murder and serious crime at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: “James Demarco is a dangerous individual whose dangerous actions could have had catastrophic consequences.

“It was only by a stroke of luck that neither of the two officers was seriously injured.

“He then attempted to rob an innocent person while she was carrying her young child, which must have been an incredibly traumatic experience for both of them.

“I hope this conviction serves as a warning to others that we take crimes of this nature extremely seriously and will use all the means at our disposal to seek justice.”