And this is where I was taken hostage...
Ex-guard tells of riot ordeal as jail opens to tourists
IT was a horrifying ordeal for a prison guard at the mercy of rampaging inmates.
Jackie Stuart was paraded on the roof during a five-day riot at Peterhead Prison with a noose around his neck.
But though the Victorian building was closed three years ago, Mr Stuart has described his experiences as the site was reopened to give law-abiding members of the public the chance to see what life was life behind bars.
Reliving of the moment the trouble started in 1987, Mr Stuart, now aged 86, said: ‘Another officer got stabbed and I went to his aid.
‘I got the knife off him [the prisoner] and thought it was just a one-off thing but then the whole hall joined in.
‘They [inmates] got a big chain off a punching bag and put it round my neck and dragged me about and they filled my pockets with Inside story: Peterhead jail cell lighter fuel and said they would set me alight if they didn’t get what they wanted.’
But remarkably Mr Stuart, who retired two years after his ordeal, maintained: ‘It was all threats. It’s just one of those things.
‘These things happen and you’ve got to make the best of it. That was just what it was like.’ He was eventually rescued after members of the SAS stormed the building, which is now a museum offering an inside view of what was regarded as Scotland’s toughest prison.
For more than 100 years it housed some of the country’s most notorious criminals.
Perched on the North-East coast and blasted by winds from the
‘There was a daily threat’
North Sea, it was a dark, imposing place hated by even the most institutionalised killers and sex offenders.
However, there is no shortage of visitors wanting a sneak peak into its dark history. Among the exhibits are a cell depicting a ‘dirty protest’ and punishment equipment including a cat o’ nine tails.
Mr Stuart’s description is part of a 90-minute audio tour showing the challenges faced by staff in dealing with 400 dangerous criminals.
A mannequin dressed in SAS fatigues is now located on the ground floor of the cell block, along with photos of the destruction inmates caused when they smashed up every cell.
There is also a mannequin of a guard in full riot gear, complete with helmet and visor.
Alec Geddes, facilities development co-ordinator, said: ‘Some prison officers spent their first four years in riot gear due to the nature of the prisoners.
‘If you ask any of the officers, they will say they weren’t in a lot of danger. But if you imagine being housed in this compound with 400 hardened criminals, there was a daily threat to them. It was bleak. What we are trying to do here is promote the good work of the staff.’
The tour has been put together by Antenna International, which is also responsible for the Alcatraz Prison tour in San Francisco.