Convicted Murderer Captured on Edinburgh Bus After Absconding from Open Prison

A convicted murderer who went missing from an open prison in Dundee earlier this week has been arrested in Edinburgh.

59-year-old Raymond McCourt, who failed to return to HMP Castle Huntly on Tuesday, was detained by plain-clothes officers after boarding a Lothian Bus in the Abbeyhill area. He was removed from the vehicle on London Road near Leith Walk on Friday morning.

McCourt had been spotted earlier in Glasgow’s Duke Street area. Police Scotland had issued warnings to the public not to approach him.

McCourt was originally jailed in 1993 for murdering newsagent Khalid Mahmood in Cambuslang, Lanarkshire. He also shot a pursuing police officer and a bystander during a failed robbery attempt. Both survived.

Released on licence in 2015, McCourt was later recalled to prison after stealing from his then-partner to fund a trip to Blackpool. He received an additional 10-month sentence and was returned to serve his life term.

Following his latest escape, Police Scotland thanked the public for assisting with information and confirmed McCourt will now be returned to custody.