A murderer serving a life sentence in prison will be locked up for 21 more months after he fashioned a weapon out of a toothbrush and razorblade.
Johnathan MacKinnon has been locked up since 2013 after he and another man were convicted of the murder of 16-year-old Liam Aitchison on South Uist.
Both had denied the murder of the teenager, who was brutally attacked in November 2011 before his body was found at a derelict property at Steinish on Lewis.
Liam had been repeatedly stabbed and his head had been stamped on. He suffered 20 stab wounds to his head, neck and torso.
Millar and MacKinnon were both aged 22 when they were convicted of the crime after a trial in June 2013.
No release until at least 2031
MacKinnon – now 31 – will spend a further 21 months in the Peterhead prison after he admitted to fashioning the weapon out of a razorblade and toothbrush and hiding it in his cell.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told that prison staff were conducting a search of his cell when they found the weapon.
Fiscal depute Lynne MacVicar said: “Asked if he had any unauthorised items within the cell he advised them he didn’t.
“Prison officers found a toothbrush with a razorblade melted into it measuring six inches.
“It was hidden beneath a towel and under a television.
“When asked what it was he said it was for chopping matchsticks, however no matchsticks or matchstick models were found in his cell.”
‘It was for sharpening pencils’
MacKinnon appeared from the prison via video link and admitted having the item in prison.
His defence agent Ian Houston argued MacKinnon had it for innocent reasons.
“His explanation is that he had it for sharpening pencils. He denied it was for offensive purposes,” Mr Houston said.
“From his record, you will see he has not acquired any convictions related to violence since he was convicted.
“He describes it as poor decision making and acknowledges it will be a prison sentence today.
“Obviously this will have an impact on his parole when it comes around. He is not eligible for parole until 2031.”
Sheriff Ian Wallace told MacKinnon the “only appropriate disposal was clearly one of imprisonment”.
“You have given two separate and differing explanations for having this item. Seeing photographs of the item it’s a blade embedded into a toothbrush,” he said.
“There’s no reasonable explanation for having that.”
He granted the Crown forfeiture of the item and ordered MacKinnon serve a 21-month sentence consecutively to the punishment element of his current life sentence.
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