James 'Porky' O'Rourke: Life and shock crimes of UK's most dangerous prisoner who stabbed jail
JAMES "Porky" O'Rourke who once stabbed a jail escort has been labelled one of the UK's "most dangerous" prisoners.
O'Rourke, a notorious figure in Scotland's prison system, now faces dying behind bars after a "brutal execution" in the clink.
O'Rourke, from Glasgow, strangled fellow inmate Dean Ramsey to death after a spat between the two men.
O'Rourke, who admitted killing Ramsey, "Just because I am old, he thinks I am dafty. Well, it cost him his life."
Ramsey was rushed to hospital after the attack at Glenochil Prison in January 2021. Medics fought in vain to save him.
A source said: “The boy Dean was in a really bad way. There was a dispute between the two of them, which led to Dean being attacked in his cell.
Read more in news
“It doesn’t take much for Porky to flip — he’s known for it.
“He knows he’s probably never getting out, so feels he has nothing to lose — which makes him even more dangerous.”
O’Rourke was first jailed in 1992 for the murder of Neil Cairney in Airdrie, who had a concrete slab dropped on his head.
He was later handed another six years for taking a prison officer and nurse hostage at Glenochil in 1997. This was followed by an eight year term for assault and abduction in 2002.
Most read in The Sun
In 2006 the thug targeted Thomas Peacock in the prison gym, when O'Rourke pulled out a blade and slashed Peacock's throat.
Peacock, jailed for the barbaric murder of Douglas Lambie, somehow survived the attack. When O'Rourke heard that his victim had pulled through he said: "That's a shame."
O'Rourke, now 53, has since been listed as one of 10 of the world's
most dangerous inmates. The serial offender is now the subject of an 5Action crime doc.
The programme makers will profile O'Rourke alongside monsters such as Yorkshire murderer Mark Hobson and Death Row
Satanist Christa Gail Pike.
Graeme Pearson, former Labour MSP and head of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, said O'Rourke had "thrown his life away" because of his frequent violent acts in the lock-up.
Pearson said: "O’Rourke has completely thrown away his life while in prison and has gone from someone who didn’t have a lot of opportunities to someone who gave himself no opportunities.
"O’Rourke could have got out years ago if he had changed his attitude and behaviour and been forgotten about. Instead, he has become a prison personality."
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErKynZpOke7a3jqecsKtfZ4JzhJRsbXJnmpa6pr%2BMqaaro6livLO71KuinmWloMBuuc6sq2ackaO0pr7Orqpo