Claims he was pressed to blame nurse for escape

AT the inquiry into the circumstances that led to the events of November 30, 1976, not all of the evidence was heard in public.

McCulloch and Mone’s testimonies were heard behind closed doors at Barlinnie, fearing they were too dangerous to appear in court.

What Mone said has never been revealed – until now.

The killer claims he was encouraged to cast blame on nurse Neil McLellan, whose keys they used in the escape.

Mone says his solicitor – famed criminal brief Joe Beltrami who died earlier this year – ordered him to smear the Carstairs nurse to protect a leading politician who would be compromised by the ease in which the pair escaped.

Mone said: “I was encouraged to present my evidence with emphasis on McLellan’s decision to ‘lose the keys’ to the area from which the escape occurred.”

Last night Neil McLellan’s family blasted Mone’s revelation.

His son, John, 59, said: “This is news to us. We never heard this evidence as it was behind closed doors.

“Our legal team warned us the state may resort to blaming a dead man but we never knew they went so low.

“If what was said is true then it’s a blatant case of direct political interference with the due process of the law.”

He added he and his mum Marion, 87, would never forgive Mone or McCulloch for their shocking crime.

“They were sentenced to life and we believe that’s the sentence they should serve.”