There’s methadone in prison madness

KILLER 45 YEARS ON HEROIN MED COSTS US £ 2.2M

A KILLER is still being given methadone after 45 years in jail – bringing the total cost of keeping him banged up to £ 2.2million.

John Mchugh, 69, told a court he was still being prescribed the heroin substitute nearly half a century after being caged for murder.

He said he gets a daily dose of the drug which has been dubbed a “liquid cosh”.

The treatment costs taxpayers an extra £ 5,000 a year on top of the annual £ 43,000 bill they have to pick up for keeping a prisoner behind bars. Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary

Liam Kerr said: “This case raises major questions about what efforts are being made to wean prisoners off methadone and into full recovery.’’

Guilty

Mchugh was given a life sentence in 1975 for the murder of a waiter at a hotel where he worked as a kitchen porter.

He had a further year added to his stretch after being found guilty at Perth Sheriff Court of a series of crimes at Castle Huntly open prison near Dundee.

He headbutted a prison officer, pulled down his trousers to expose himself to a female warder and also smeared faeces on his cell door.

Mchugh, who has been moved back to a closed prison, told the court: “I am on methadone. I thought they were bringing it to me at the time.’’

He said he had became annoyed and lashed out at warders.

Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said: “Any sentence I impose will be somewhat academic.

“It will be recorded but will have no effect.’’

A Scottish Prison Service spokesman said the provision of healthcare in jails was the “responsibility of the NHS”.

Prof Alison Mccallum, director of public health and health policy for NHS Lothian, said patients were given healthcare “based on individual clinical need”.