Sex attacker James Murison who tried to rape papergirl could face life in prison

A sex attacker who attempted to rape a 14-year-old papergirl has been warned he could face a life sentence.

James Murison, 59, was jailed in 2007 for attempting to rape the schoolgirl after he forced her into his home in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, while she was on her newspaper delivery round.

Murison restrained the child victim and subjected her to sexual assault before police arrived after neighbours heard her screams.

Since being in prison, the sex offender has paraded around naked in jail, indecently assaulted a prison officer at Glenochil prison, in Clackmannanshire, and exposed himself and performing a solo sex act towards other female staff at Saughton jail, in Edinburgh.

Murison originally admitted offences of committing threatening or abusive behaviour, sexual assault and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of others, when he appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court.

He was sent to the High Court which has greater powers of sentencing.

A judge at the High Court in Edinburgh made a risk assessment order on him, which can lead to the imposition of an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR), following a brief hearing on Wednesday.

Lord Harrower said: “I am satisfied in this case that the risk criteria may be met.”

An expert will now prepare a detailed report on Murison ahead of a further hearing on July 1.

If the judge decides to impose an OLR at a future hearing then he will set a minimum term Murison must serve in jail, but any future release of the offender will be decided by parole authorities taking into account public safety.

The court was told that on three occasions in November 2020, Murison had walked around naked in Glenochil and refused to cover up. During one of the incidents he walked up to a staff desk at the jail and stood with his hands on his hips looking towards two women guards.

On February 15 last year, two officers visited him in his cell after he was again refusing to put clothes on.

He eventually got dressed but suddenly lunged at a woman officer and grabbed her inappropriately.

The other officer restrained him while the shocked sex attack victim activated her alarm. Murison was restrained and taken to the segregation unit.

He was then transferred to the Edinburgh jail but on May 10 last year, he again left the showers naked, refused to cover up and walked towards three women officers and began performing a solo sex act in their direction as he smirked.

The former painter was a first offender when he was jailed for eight years in 2007, with a further eight-year supervision period when he could be returned to jail, for the attack on the papergirl at his then home in Huntly’s Bogie Street.

During the attack he forced her into his house, put a pillowcase over her head and sexually assaulted her.