BROTHERS GRIM

Unlikely partnership as gangster and killer get peacemaker roles in jail

- MARK MCGIVERN

FEARED gangster Mark Richardson and psycho-killer sidekick Colin Coats have been given peacekeeping roles at the jail where they're held after a series of riots.

Edinburgh mob boss Richardson was a lead negotiator in a prisoner council that met the governor of HMP Glenochil, near Alloa, after protests at the jail led to tense lockdowns.

He was assisted by Coats, one of Scotland's most notorious killers, who is serving a 33-year stretch for the torture and murder of Lynda Spence, which shocked Scotland in 2013.

Cons have been furious at the frequent lastminute cancellations of jail events that get them out of their cells, caused by chronic staff shortages.

And after two protests led to a prison stand-off this month - with emergency crews on alert amid fears of a riot Richardson presented a list of demands to governor Sharanne Findlay and deputy John Docherty.

A prison insider said the showdown allayed fears that evening visits would be cancelled.

The source said: "Mark Richardson is the one that calls the shots at Glenochil and prison management know he has to be respected.

"Although he is the one man in the jail who is not to be crossed, he also carries clout as a negotiator.

"He has become pals with Colin Coats, who is an ultra-violent brute but also well educated and articulate.

"The same swagger that made Richardson a crime boss lends itself well to leadership roles inside the jail, which means he was nominated to be part of the prisoner council that liaises with jail governors."

The source added: "Richardson believes it's good for his image in the jail that he can hold this position."