Probe into death of Scots prisoner at notorious jail to begin

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A fatal accident inquiry into the death of a prisoner at a notorious Scots prison has begun, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) confirmed.

Michael Charlton was found dead in his cell within HMP Barlinnie in the late afternoon of 28 October 2019. The 58-year-old was one of four prisoners to die within four days at Scottish prisons amid concerns about conditions and overcrowding.

Michael was in legal custody and in the care of the state at the time of his death, so COPFS is obliged to investigate, and a Fatal Accident Inquiry is mandatory.

A Preliminary Hearing will be held on 19 December 2024 at Glasgow Sheriff Court. The purpose of a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) includes determining the cause of death; the circumstances in which the deaths occurred, and to establish what, if any, reasonable precautions could have been taken, and could be implemented in the future, to minimise the risk of future deaths in similar circumstances.