Edinburgh prisoner died after 'becoming unwell and collapsing in his cell'

The death of an Edinburgh inmate who became unwell and suffered a collapse in his cell is set to be probed.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has announced a preliminary hearing for the mandatory Fatal Accident Inquiry after Stephen Charters, 57, was found dead in June 2022.

A FAI is held into the death of every Scottish prisoner and a date of August 7 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court has been set for a hearing, with the full inquiry taking place on October 14 and 15, 2024.

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Charters died just days after he was caged for a series of sexual offences, including rapes against four women, which took place between 1984 and 2015.

Speaking during sentencing, Detective Inspector Jonny Wright said: “I would like to commend the victims for coming forward. Despite the passage of time, they were able to give us information which allowed detectives to carry out this investigation.

"Had it not been for their bravery in coming forward and giving evidence in court, Charters could have gone unpunished. Charters denied these crimes, but extensive work carried out by officers and partners, including the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), means that he has now been brought to justice.

"This case is an example of no matter when the incident happened, Police Scotland will always thoroughly investigate and we are here to listen and support victims and have specially trained officers to carry out inquiries.

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“We continue to be committed to bringing all perpetrators of sexual abuse to justice and time is no barrier for our enquiries. I would urge anyone who wishes to report sexual crime, regardless of when it happened, to contact us so we can conduct a thorough and professional investigation.”

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.

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Unlike criminal proceedings, FAIs are inquisitorial in nature, and are used to establish facts rather than to apportion blame.

Procurator Fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads on fatalities investigations for COPFS, said: “The Lord Advocate considers that the death of Stephen Charters occurred while in legal custody and as such a Fatal Accident Inquiry is mandatory.

“The lodging of the First Notice enables FAI proceedings to commence under the direction of the Sheriff.”