A PRISON officer from Greenock has been convicted of sexually assaulting two inmates in jail.

Brian Johnstone, 60, had denied the charges.

His victims, aged 26 and 35, told the sheriff court in Glasgow that he would come into their cells at Barlinnie and touch them inappropriately as they slept.

They were also both attacked by Johnstone in the showers.

The prison guard was convicted of sexually assaulting his first victim between December 2013 and March 2014 and the second from March to August 2016.

The younger of the two men and Johnstone’s first victim described an incident when Johnston carried out a sex act on him while he lay in bed, ill with food poisoning.

Jurors heard accounts of incidents when Johnstone attacked the man in the showers.

The other victim, the 35-year-old, was on remand at the time of the attacks and subsequently acquitted of the charge he faced.

He described the first incident of sexual assault when Johnstone came into his cell and ‘lunged’ at him.

The man told the jury that Johnstone would come into his cell before he was awake and touch him.

The court also heard of an incident when he was assaulted by Johnstone in the shower area.

Johnstone claimed to have vague memories of the men and denied any sexual contact.

Sheriff Joseph Platt deferred sentence for background reports and continued Johnstone’s bail.