Ben McCulloch – son of Scottish gangland boss Brian McCulloch – was filmed partying with other out-of-control prisoners.
A grieving family have demanded a crackdown on killers trolling from behind bars after being sickened by jail TikTok videos.
The mother and sisters of slain Stephen Quigley are pleading for a new law to hammer gloating criminals after the Record revealed a series of videos filmed inside crisis-hit Addiewell nick.
Katie Quigley has told of her pain as she watched killer Ben McCulloch – son of Scottish gangland boss Brian McCulloch – party with other out-of-control prisoners in a video that was put on TikTok.
Along with daughters Catrina, 33, and Margaret, 37, she is pleading for a crackdown on the toxic masculinity and macho lawlessness that they claim the Scottish Prison Service seems unable to keep under control.
The recent TikTok video from McCulloch – featuring violence, bullying and drugs – glorified the 24-hour party life he and pals, stripped to the waist, claim to be living the high life at HMP Addiewell, in West Lothian.
That video followed an earlier shameful Instagram post that emerged from HMP Shotts, where bully McCulloch, 31, and murderer pal Ross Fisher were photographed. A caption on the post openly mocked the men they killed – saying “They’re deed and we’re no – hahah.”
It is understood that McCulloch has been prosecuted for abuse of smuggled mobile phones – and received “concurrent” sentences, which added zero time to his sentence.
Katie Quigley, whose demand for a clampdown is being backed by MSP Paul O’Kane, said: “I cannot put into words just how hurtful it was to see this man’s face on a photo, with a caption on it referring to the death of my son and the fact his killer is doing ‘easy time’.
“Ben McCulloch killed my boy, who was meant to be his best friend. His lawyer told the court that he was full or remorse but he has not one shred of remorse. If he did, how could he be posting videos about having 24 hour parties?
“And what punishment has he received? We were told by the SPS he was given concurrent sentences, which is no punishment and no deterrent at all.”
Katie, from Neilston, Renfrewshire, said she would like Scottish ministers to pass a specific law that ensures extra time behind bars for any prisoner who uses a mobile phone to create video content that cause torment for the family of victims.
She said: “I had to identify my dead son and that awful day will stay with me for as long as I am alive. Is it too much to ask for prisons to stop these gangsters reminding the families of all the people they have killed or victimised that they are running the jails?
“I really does look from the videos that things are out of control. How can you have a cell that is full of drunk men having a party inside, taking videos, somehow getting an internet connection to post all their horrible footage?
“It just breaks my heart to think of the lack of remorse that is evident in every one of those videos.”
Stephen’s sister Catrina, 33, said the family has been forced to endure a “life sentence” after their loss in 2021.
McCulloch, now 31, was jailed for nine-and-a-half years for knifing Stephen before leaving him to die on a pavement outside Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.
The High Court in Glasgow heard that Stephen would have lived if McCulloch had taken him to A and E.
Catrina said: “Stephen was best mates with Ben and they were on good terms before he killed him. His lawyer bleated in court about his remorse but his behaviour in prison is a disgrace.
“We need to stop the flood of phones into prisons and we need to give proper punishments to those who are torturing families like ours from inside jails.
“As it stands there is no deterrent. Vulnerable young men are looking at these prisoners like role models and thinking they can get in with the mob while doing easy time in jail themselves.”
The Daily Record told recently how Ben McCulloch and other cons at HMP Addiewell were raving in their cells, posting videos that appeared to show men out of their heads on drugs and prison hooch.
The apparent lads party videos were captions with claim that prison time is easy and a 24 hour party.
Further videos emerged from top security HMP Shotts and Barlinnie, where a growing craze appears to be emerging for young prisoners to brag about the fun times they are enjoying behind bars.
And the Quigley family had previously been outraged at the Instagarm content that featured McCulloch with killer Ross Fisher, 34 – who was one of a gang of four who were jailed for the gangland murder of Kenny Reilly in Maryhill, Glasgow, in 2018.
Ben McCulloch’s dad Brian, now 55, was a ringleader in a multi-million-pound drug plot that was cracked after a police surveillance sting.
In 2009 the High Court in Glasgow heard how McCulloch plotted with other gangsters.
Due to the bugging of McCulloch’s BMW, police raided properties in Glasgow, Paisley and Clydebank, recovering drugs with a street value of £9million, along with firearms and almost £500,000 in cash.
A ring of steel was thrown around the High Court in Glasgow ahead of their sentencing hearing, amid fears of an escape bid from the gang.
Officers from the tactical firearms unit, armed with sub-machine guns, stalked the court building while the police helicopter circled above.
The police operation, codenamed Operation Lockdown, ran from August 2007 to February 2009, involved up to 100 officers on any given day and cost an estimated £2.7million. Brian McCulloch got 10 years for his leading role in the gang.
Labour MSP Paul O’Kane said Scotland needs an overhaul of the way it deals with the taunting that comes from inside prisons on illicit videos.
He claimed that his plea for action on the Quigleys’ case had been fobbed off by justice minister Angela Constance when he raised it in a letter.
O’Kane said: “I have been supporting the Quigley family for some time and I know how shocked the whole community in Neilston was at Stephen’s killing. It is horrific that the family’s pain is being compounded by the action of those found guilty in prison.”
“It is clear that the SNP Government take a soft touch approach and have not acted to get a grip of the situation within our prisons – with mobile phones being smuggled in and so called parties taking place in prison wings which are being filmed for social media”
“My pleas to Angela Constance have fallen on deaf ears and this is heartbreaking for the family”
“We clearly need a new Government in Scotland to take decisive action on securing our prison estate and looking at the whole issue of punishments for taunting victims of crime from behind bars.”
A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: “We understand the lasting impact this kind of offending has on families and the significant distress such videos can cause.
“Our staff work hard to keep prisons safe and secure, using all available technology and intelligence to prevent illicit items, including mobile phones, entering our establishments.
“While we do not comment on individuals, we continue to work with Police Scotland, and other partners, to take action against those who attempt to breach our security.”
The Scottish Government is currently restricted in statements that might be made on future policy.
A previous statement stated: “This is an operational matter for the SPS which uses a range of technology and intelligence to stop illicit items reaching our prisons.
“As previously announced in 2026-2027, we are investing just over £1billion in our prisons to support frontline staff.”
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