Published: Thursday, 13th November, 2008 12:35
Woman's £4,000 jail mini-riot
By Christine Gray
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CELL RIOT: Charlene McPherson.
A SPECIALLY-TRAINED riot team were forced to break into a rowdy prisoner’s cell.
Greenock woman Charlene MacPherson, 20, above, smashed up her cell at Cornton Vale Prison.
Prosecutor Karen Nicol told Stirling Sheriff Court yesterday: “When officers finally got her door open, the only thing left undamaged was the bedframe.”
The depute fiscal said the incident occurred at the city’s Cornton Vale jail around 9pm on 17 April, shortly before lockdown.
She said: “An officer tried the door handle of Miss MacPherson’s room and it wouldn’t turn. The spy hole in the door had been covered up.
“Listening through the door, officers could hear the sound of things being smashed up.”
Warders from Cornton Vale’s specially-trained riot squad were called in to force the cell door, and MacPherson and her cellmate, who was not named in court, were found inside, standing amid a scene of devastation.
Miss Nicol said: “Other than the bedframe, every other single item in the cell had been damaged.” Repairing the cell and replacing the damaged goods cost the jail authorities £4,088.
Miss Nicol added: “The accused was interviewed and made admissions.”
She was placed ‘on rule’ by the prison governor and spent 10 days in 24-hour solitary confinement.
MacPherson, of Don Street, admitted criminal damage in court yesterday.
Defence lawyer Stephen Maguire said: “There’s no explanation for what she did. There was a co-accused, who is no longer involved in the process.
“Miss MacPherson’s position is that she was not individually responsible for all the damage, but she was party to it all. To some extent she has already been punished by the prison authorities.”
Mr Maguire added that MacPherson was released from prison not long after completing her period in solitary, and had not further offended for six months.
She was placed on probation for 12 months and ordered to perform 120 hours of community service.
Sheriff Andrew Cubie told her: “You have a shocking record for a young woman of 20.”
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