Family demand answers over towel wrapped round head during prison ordeal

APOLOGY From Scottish Prison Service over HMP Edinburgh incident

- BY JOHN FERGUSON

THE family of death-in-custody victim Allan Marshall have demanded answers over a towel wrapped around his head during the restraint that killed him.

It comes after a landmark ruling at the Court of Session in Edinburgh last week in which the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) admitted a breach of human rights law by unlawfully causing his death.

Allan, 30, was on remand at HMP Edinburgh in March 2015 when he was restrained face down by 17 prison officers after suffering a mental health episode.

He passed away after four days in a coma as a result of brain damage caused by oxygen starvation and cardiac arrest.

The case sent shockwaves through Scotland after the Sunday Mail revealed shocking CCTV footage of the horrific incident in which a prison guard can be seen tightly holding what appears to be a towel around his head.

However, authorities have refused to give any explanation for why this fact was not acknowledged at a fatal accident inquiry.

Allan's aunt Sharon MacFadyen said: “We are pleased with this court ruling because it finally confirms what we have known for years - Allan was unlawfully killed and people should have been held responsible.

“The fact is we would not be getting these apologies if it wasn't for this court ruling and the apologies are only meaningful if we are now going to get the whole truth.

“There are unanswered questions. We still have not been told why a towel was wrapped around Allan's head when he was dragged out of the shower block. Was he effectively waterboarded to death with this towel?

“We have asked for the full high quality CCTV but this has not been provided.