Peter Murrell will face constant threats and demands for cash in prison, it was claimed yesterday. Former gangland lawyer James McIntyre, who served time in Edinburgh’s Saughton Prison, says wealthy white collar inmates are a big target for violent cons.
And he warned Nicola Sturgeon’s ex-husband being behind bars will be a “terrifying experience”. Murrell is on remand at Saughton ahead of sentencing on June 23 for stealing £400,000 from the SNP.
McIntyre, who represented gangsters such as Paul Ferris, but ended up inside on a gun charge, said: “I had an underworld criminal backing, he won’t have that. I think when he goes in Murrell may well be bullied, with people having a go at him because they know he has money.
“He looks like he is ‘bullyable’. They know he has connections outside. People will pester him for favours and stuff like that. There are some who look for any excuse they can for violence. Footballers in the past have been pressurised for money when they have been in there.”
View 5 ImagesJames McIntyre(Image: Alasdair MacLeod/Daily Record)
During a 30-year career, McIntyre was lawyer and trusted confidant to some of Scotland’s most high-profile underworld figures. He has been described as a real-life Tom Hagen, the “consigliere” or adviser to the Corleone mafia family in The Godfather book and movies.
McIntyre’s clients included the McGoverns – six brothers known as the McGovernment because of the control they allegedly had over Glasgow’s Springburn area. He has also represented former underworld enforcer-turned-author Paul Ferris. But he found himself on the wrong side of the law and was jailed.
McIntyre received a three-year sentence at the High Court in Glasgow for a firearms find at his home in Linlithgow, West Lothian, which marked the end of his legal career. He said: “When you go into prison it is nothing like Porridge on the television. When they open up the hall door for the first time the noise overwhelms you. Murrell will walk into an atmosphere that is totally alien to anything he has ever been in before, with a whole lot of people who are very much at home and know the place backwards.
View 5 ImagesPeter Murrell at the High Court in Edinburgh(Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire)
“Everyone will be shouting and bawling from the landings. He will be worried because he will have heard what happens in jail. He will feel lost, disheartened, alone and afraid. He will feel this is the end of his life as he knows it.”
McIntyre recalls that it hit home to him when he was in prison how he had taken a wrong turn in life. After being placed in his cell he heard a news broadcast about his own case from a prisoner’s radio.
McIntyre is still in regular contact with people who have been inside. He says it would be unwise for Murrell to ask to be put in “protection” which would place him alongside vulnerable prisoners such as sex offenders and former police officers.
McIntyre added: “The best thing is for him to go into the main prison. If he is asked to go into protection he should refuse. That is where you could be slashed or attacked. There are some halls that have less strict regimes and he could end up there which would be better for him.”
McIntyre, however, has some crumbs of comfort for Murrell and advice on how to watch his back and keep safe. He believes he will be given a cellmate, possibly a younger man serving a similar sentence for a non-violent crime.
View 5 ImagesHMP Edinburgh(Image: SWNS)
McIntyre added: “People may shout insults at him but that will die out after a few days. They may realise after a while that he is not someone they can cash in on or who can help them.
“He will need to learn the ropes and quick – on how to survive, on what to do and what not to do and who not to cross. He will also learn quickly who runs the prison hall and it won’t be the prison officers.
“My main advice would be not to have anything to do with drugs and he will be alright. If he keeps himself to himself then nobody will bother him. If I was him I would be writing my book already.”
However, McIntyre says Murrell shouldn’t have to worry about “sex attacks” in the showers. He added: “That is all nonsense. You always shower separately and you are by yourself.”
Since his release from prison, the grandfather has used his real-life experiences to become a successful writer for TV shows such as EastEnders, Taggart and River City. In 2023, McIntyre brought out his best-selling autobiography, Jimmy Two Guns, the Life and Crimes of a Gangland Lawyer.
View 5 ImagesPaul Ferris was represented by McIntyre(Image: newcastle chronicle)
He added: “Murrell will also be surprised how nice some of the guys will be, even the hard men. They will realise he is now one of them. He is not a child molester or someone who beats up women. Prisoners may go to him for help with writing letters or filling out forms as many cannot read or write. I had queues at my cell door looking for legal advice.
“Murrell will also feel relief that this all behind him, there is no more lying, no more deceiving, no more ducking. Be as friendly and polite as you can, don’t do anything illegal or break the prison rules and don’t involve yourself in jail politics. Don’t associate with the prison officers. But if any prisoners approach you for help, give them the help.”
One of Saughton’s most high-profile residents is Limbs in the Loch killer William Beggs, who is serving life for murdering 18-year-old Barry Wallace in Kilmarnock in 1999 and dumping his body parts in locations including Loch Lomond.
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The jail has four halls: Glenesk, Hermiston, Ingliston and Ratho. Ratho houses the sex offenders and other vulnerable inmates. The Scottish Prison Service says it does not comment on individual prisoners.
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