A convicted murderer sent threatening letters to an ex-girlfriend from his prison cell, a court heard last week.
And killer Dean Rippon smirked when Sheriff Derrick McIntyre jailed him for nine months – he has to serve at least 15 years of his life sentence before being considered for parole.
As he was being taken back to jail he shouted at the sheriff: “Is that your best?”
Rippon, 22, admitted sending the letters to his former partner at Park Street in Hawick , and elsewhere, on September 3 and 12.
Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser told how Rippon had previously been in a relationship with the 18-year-old and sent letters to her from prison.
Mr Fraser told Jedburgh Sheriff Court: “The content was of a menacing nature and threatened torture toward her family, and referred to his murder victim.
“He also made reference to her blood and various sadistic comments, threatening to peel her skin off and elements of cannibalism.
“Another letter was received on September 12 of a similar nature, in which he said he looked forward to hear her screaming and the element of sexual excitement he would get from that.”
When cautioned by police, Rippon replied: “Just let that be a warning to her, not to f*** about with my little sister.”
Defence solicitor Rory Bannerman confirmed his client was serving a sentence for murder with a minimum tariff of 15 years.
Mr Bannerman went on: “He understood his sister to have been disrespected by the complainer and sent her these letters in a fit of outrage.”
The solicitor described Rippon as a disturbed young man and added:“There is no doubt they were unpleasant.”
Rippon, formerly of Stonefield Place, Hawick, was 20 when he killed his friend Christopher Swailes, 43, at the victim’s home in Liddesdale Road, Hawick, on November 13, 2011.
He pleaded guilty to murder and was jailed for life with a 19-year punishment term, which was reduced to 15 years on appeal.
His murder weapons were thought to have been a filleting knife and a whisky bottle.
He inflicted 14 wounds and judge Lady Smith branded the killing as vicious, brutal and wicked.