A KILLER and sex attacker serving a life sentence caused almost £25,000-worth of damage to prison cells over a six-week period.

Scott Sorby was given a minimum 24-year tariff when sentenced for the murder and attempted rape of a 94-year-old woman after breaking into a care home, in January 2011.

Sorby was out of prison on licence at the time, having been released part way through a four-and-a-half-year sentence, also for attempted rape.

The then 20-year-old assailant battered the defenceless woman and dragged her into her bathroom, where he continued the attack as he also tried to rape her.

She died in hospital two months later, by then aged 95, from pneumonia brought on by her ordeal.

The judge sentencing him at Bradford Crown Court, in February 2012, after Sorby admitted the offences, told him he committed a “truly dreadful” act against the frail care home resident, describing him as, “damaged and dangerous”.

Now nine years into that sentence, the 30-year-old convict came before Durham Crown Court for three counts of criminal damage, committed while in top-security Frankland Prison, on the outskirts of the city, between late January and early March, last year.

Appearing via video link from Full Sutton Prison, near York, he admitted all three charges.

Jonathan Harley, prosecuting, said a prison officer heard banging and smashing noises from Sorby’s cell, on January 25, last year.

On speaking to the inmate, the officer was told he wanted to go to the segregation unit.

He was granted his wish, but overnight “extensive damage” was discovered to furniture in that cell.

Mr Harley said Sorby was transferred to a different cell in the segregation unit, but on March 8 more banging was heard and further extensive damage was discovered.

He even tried to dismantle bars from the cell windows.

Mr Harley said the three offences resulted in total damage caused in excess of £24,000.
David Birrell, for Sorby, said he is not due to go before the Parole Board, “for many years”.

He described the offences as “impulsive”, committed in, “frustration at conditions”, within the prison.

“He’s a man who struggles with change. There is an outstanding autism assessment and he has other mental health issues.

“But, following the final offence, he had something of, ‘an epiphany’, and no longer engages in this type of incident.”

Judge Ray Singh told Sorby he has “an appalling list of previous convictions, culminating in his conviction for a serious sex offence and murder.

The judge noted Sorby has further offences of causing damage in prison on his record, from 2015, and an assault two years later.

He disagreed with his counsel’s claim of the offence being “impulsive, describing it as, “quite clearly pre-meditated”.

But the judge said there was, “very little” the court could do, given Sorby is serving a life sentence and faces remaining behind bars for many years.

He imposed concurrent 12-week sentences for each offence.