Victim's Family Outraged as Killer Brags on Social Media from Prison
Killer's Prison Antics Spark Family Fury
Margaret McCallum, whose brother Stephen Quigley was killed four years ago, has expressed profound anger and distress after the convicted killer, Ben McCulloch, appeared in a series of social media posts from prison. The images and videos, widely shared online, show McCulloch bare-chested and seemingly partying within HMP Shotts, alongside other inmates.
One particularly offensive post featured McCulloch posing with another convicted killer, captioned: "They're deed and we're no hahah." Ms McCallum described feeling "instant anger" upon seeing the posts, stating, "It's so disheartening. You think he's behind us now... And there he is, bold as brass, in our faces." She added, "That's what it feels like to us. That he's bragging about how easy his time is. Our time isn't easy. Every single day is difficult."
Details of the Crime and Sentence
Ben McCulloch was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years for the culpable homicide of 26-year-old Stephen Quigley in Barrhead in March 2021. McCulloch, who had been friends with Quigley, fatally stabbed him before abandoning him outside a hospital day unit late at night. Stephen's body was discovered the following morning.
Illegal Mobile Phone Use in Prisons
The incident highlights ongoing concerns regarding the illicit use of mobile phones within Scottish prisons. McCulloch was reportedly among several prisoners filming themselves at HMP Addiewell, a maximum-security, privately run facility in West Lothian. Mobile phones are strictly prohibited in all correctional facilities, and their illegal use can lead to disciplinary action or prosecution.
HMP Addiewell's operator, Sodexo Justice, stated it takes such matters "extremely seriously" and immediately reports prisoners found with illegal items. The Scottish Prison Service acknowledged the "significant distress" caused by such videos and affirmed its commitment to preventing illicit items from entering establishments, working with Police Scotland and other partners to take action against those who breach security.
Despite being found guilty of additional charges relating to illegal mobile phone use, McCulloch will not serve an extended sentence. This is due to the practice of prisoners serving multiple sentences concurrently, rather than consecutively.
Ms McCallum supports a new law criminalising the sending of messages from prison that cause upset to victims' families, hoping for a system where a prisoner's time inside "actually mean something" in terms of rehabilitation.
