A private prison operator and a health board have admitted criminal charges after a prisoner who contracted Covid-19 died alone in his cell.
Calum Inglis, 34, was serving a short sentence at HMP Addiewell when he tested positive for Covid-19 on October 12 2021. He was asthmatic and unvaccinated, and died alone in his cell at the West Lothian prison, which is run by Sodexo, after his health deteriorated.
Charges admitted at Edinburgh Sheriff Court
On Friday, Sodexo and Lothian Health Board admitted criminal charges of failing to ensure they had adhered to their duties under health and safety legislation at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
Lawyers for Mr Inglis's family have claimed that during the 12-day period he was not seen by a nurse, and that he reported being breathless and coughing up significant amounts of blood.
It is alleged that in the last four days of his life, he repeatedly requested medical attention via his cell intercom, and was promised by prison officers that someone would see him in the morning, but nobody came. On October 24 he was found dead in his cell.
First prosecution of its kind in Scotland
Mr Inglis had been serving a short sentence for serious assault when he passed away. His family's solicitor, Aamer Anwar, has previously described his death as "agonising".
Last year, Scotland's top law officer instructed the private prosecution of HMP Addiewell in relation to the case. The case is believed to be the first prosecution of its kind in Scotland, after the Crown Office investigated around 6,000 deaths related to coronavirus.
