An inmate who carried out a razor attack on a notorious Tayside wife killer in Perth Prison has been locked up for 40 months.
Serial thief Alan Brown – dubbed Scotland’s ‘lowest of the low’ after robbing priests, children and war veterans – sneaked up behind John Lizanec and sliced his neck.
Perth Sheriff Court was told Brown targeted Lizanec and used the improvised weapon to cut him before kicking him in the back as he tried to flee.
Lizanec was on remand awaiting trial for the murder of his estranged wife Michelle and was subsequently jailed for life and ordered to spend a minimum of 24 years behind bars.
Brown, 43 – who sports a 666 tattoo on his neck – also pled guilty to further offences and was handed an additional 12-month supervised release period after the court was told he would continue to pose a risk to the public at large.
He was found to have been drinking all night after brewing up home made hooch behind bars and instigated a siege in which he claimed to have electrified his cell.
He also admitted a raid on a Perth charity hub.
Attacked killer in jail
Fiscal depute Emma Farmer told the court Lizanec walked out of his cell in Perth Prison’s B-Hall at around 9.30am on September 17 2021.
He made his way up a stairwell and saw Brown – who was also a remand prisoner at the time – standing at the top.
“They had no cause to speak to each other.
“As the complainer went to go back down, he felt a sharp pain to the right side of his head followed by a thud to his back.
“He turned around and observed Mr Brown in possession of a razor.
“This caused him to run downstairs. Whilst running away, he was kicked in the back by Mr Brown.”
Lizanec raised the alarm by shouting “knife” at nearby prison staff.
He handed over an item which contained a scissors handle with two pieces of metal sticking out.
Lizanec escaped with a superficial cut to his cheek and neck and was treated with paper stitches.
Cell siege
The court heard of a further disturbance on the morning of January 7 2024.
Brown had made his own hooch and had been up all night drinking with cellmate John Ramsay.
At about 8.30am, guards carrying out a routine check noticed a strong smell of alcohol.
When an officer entered to break up the party, Brown ran at him with an improvised weapon – a screw mounted to a handle – and shouted: “Get the f**k out of this cell.”
Staff retreated but noticed wires coming from underneath the door.
Brown told them he had wired the door and said: “I’d move away if I were you.”
After confirming it was not electrified, seven officers in full protective gear got ready to enter.
Brown threw green liquid, believed to be cleaning fluid, at the door to make it slippery.
He was seen holding a blade and heard to say: “If you guys come in here, it’s game over.”
Brown continued: “You’re getting done. In fact, he’s getting done.”
He moved towards Mr Ramsay and placed the blade at his throat.
The officers burst through the door and disarmed Brown and took him to the ground.
Mr Ramsay, who was described as “too scared to move from his bed” avoided injury.
Crimes while at large
Brown, who has a long record for crimes of dishonesty, was released from prison in March 2024.
On the evening of May 27 that year, he raided two neighbouring properties in Perth’s St Leonard’s Bank – a building used by charity Subud Britain and the next door office, used for NHS child and adolescent mental health services.
Windows were smashed on the ground floor and a cash box containing £50 was missing, along with £23 in an envelope and a wrapped gift.
Brown was identified by blood spatter he left at the crime scenes.
The same evening, he snatched a handbag from a house in Glengarry Road.
Sheriff William Wood asked Brown: “Maybe you like being in prison?”
Brown replied: “Not really, no.”
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