Missing murderer serving life-sentence re-arrested on Edinburgh bus service

Ray McCourt was arrested by officers coming off the number five service on Leith Walk

4 hours ago

Convicted murderer, Ray McCourt, was reported as missing from HMP Castle Huntly on Tuesday.

After a man-hunt, he has since been rearrested after getting off a Lothian Bus service by plain clothed police officers on Friday morning.

McCourt was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1993 on account of the fatal shooting of newsagent Khalid Mahmood in the head.

He also shot police officer Brian Williams, who gave chase, and local woman Moira Rooney after attempting to rob a nearby bakery. Both survived the encounter.

McCourt, 59, was reported as missing from HMP Castle Huntly in Dundee, Scotland’s only open prison, at around 5:30pm last Tuesday. He had last been spotted on Duke street in Glasgow’s east end shortly before he was reported as missing.

McCourt had been released on licence in 2015, but returned to prison after stealing from his partner.

He used the money he stole from his partner to pay for a holiday to Blackpool before being tracked down by police.

Perth Sheriff Court heard that he was struggling to cope with life outside of prison and had stolen the items to have a blow-out prior to his return to jail.

He was given a further 10-month sentence for the crime and was forced to return to prison on his life term for murder.

An eye witness told BBC Scotland, McCourt was surrounded by six plainly clothed officers when he got of the No.5 bus close to the junction with Leith walk. He was then searched before the bus was allowed to move on.

The BBC reports he boarded the bus minutes before in the Abbeyhill area.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Officers in Edinburgh have located convicted prisoner, Raymond McCourt. He will be returned to prison.