Killer found with blade while on remand for murdering an inmate

A killer who stabbed another inmate to death behind bars was able to make himself another knife while he was waiting to be sentenced in the wake of the murder trial.

Steven McIvor was found with a home-made blade while he was remanded for stabbing Michael Mowat to death in HMP Glenochil in February 2018.

Perth Sheriff Court was told yesterday McIvor, 35, was still waiting to go on trial for the killing when he managed to fashion himself a razor blade embedded in a plastic handle inside Perth Prison.

McIvor, who is now in Shotts prison, admitted having a weapon in the jail on February 13 last year.

Depute fiscal Eilidh Robertson told the court: “He has 87 previous convictions.

“On 13 February 2019 he was moved from the main hall to the segregation unit and was searched.

“He was found to be in possession of an open razor blade melted into a piece of plastic.”

Solicitor Eddie Wilson, defending, said: “He has to accept that his record is dreadful. “

Mr Wilson said his client had been subjected to serious threats within the prison as a result of the killing of convicted murderer Mowat the previous year.

Sheriff William Wood added a further 10 months to McIvor’s sentence and said: “You have an appalling record and the latter part of it is for crimes of violence.”

McIvor was jailed for 12 years last March for the culpable homicide of Mowat after initially being charged with his murder. He repeatedly stabbed his victim with a homemade weapon.

McIvor claimed he only lashed out with the blade as he feared he was about to be attacked by Mowat.

Mowat was in Glenochil having been jailed for murdering a friend in 2001.

McIvor told jurors: “He looked towards me and said: ‘I am stabbing the life out of you’.

“He then put his hand in his waistband. I thought he might kill me.”

McIvor lashed out with the weapon he had. One of the blows struck a major blood vessel.