Families of Katie Allan and William Lindsay call for prison reform as youths 'handed death sentence'

-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


The families of Katie Allan and William Lindsay have hit out at the prison service following the conclusion of a lengthy Fatal Accident Inquiry into both their deaths.

Katie Allan, 21, and William Brown, 16, also known as William Lindsay, took their own lives within months of each other while held at Young Offenders Institution (YOI) Polmont in 2018. A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into their deaths was held at Falkirk Sheriff Court last year, led by Sheriff SG Collins KC.

In his determination, which was published today, January 17, Sheriff Collins described a “catalogue of individual and collective failures by prison and healthcare staff” at the facility and said both deaths could have been "avoided".

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Katie Allan and William Lindsay died within months of each other
Katie Allan and William Lindsay died within months of each other

Ms Allan, a student at Glasgow University, was found dead in her cell on June 4 while serving a 16-month sentence for drink-driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Mr Brown, who had been in care repeatedly, was found dead in his cell on October 7, three days after being admitted as there was no space in a children’s secure unit, having walked into a police station with a knife.

Both families have called for justice following the tragic deaths of Katie and William, with William's mother Christine Lindsay - who died in December 2021 - having fought for her son "until her dying breath."

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Today, alongside solicitor Aamer Anwar and Director of Inquest Deborah Coles, Katie's parents Linda and Stuart Allan and William's brother John Reilly said the Scottish Prison Service should lose its statutory immunity from prosecution, and that its staff should face court proceedings under health and safety laws.

Today's press conference in Glasgow
Today's press conference in Glasgow -Credit:Ross Turpie Daily Record / Sunday Mail

During today's press conference, Katie's mum Linda said: "We did not know it was possible to feel such a range of emotions all at once until Anwar began to read the determination out to us yesterday - anger, relief, vindication, pain and ever present grief.

"Katie was brutalised in Polmont, so much so she lost all hope and saw only one solution - her death.

"She did not thrive as claimed by her personal officer in evidence at her Fatal Accident Inquiry - she was bullied, she was petrified, she was lost. She lost her hair and was taunted - her mental health suffered and a nurse couldn't even be bothered recording accurate records in her antiquated system.

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"The FAI system is broken - the prison service literally gets away with creating the circumstances by which people die prematurely, no sanctions exist, they can not be criminally prosecuted. Unless this changes, another Katie and another William will lose their lives - three have done so in Polmont since 2018".

William's brother John spoke of his family's heartache: "I have so much to say in regard to William and what has happened here - we still have so many questions. He was my baby brother, he was a terrified little boy who was left alone in a cell up to ten hours - he was a kid, there's no answers for it.

"Since the passing of my brother, my sister Chloe passed away six months later, my other sister then died nine months later and my mum three months later. It has been a barrage of loss and grief since 2018 which we still deal with on the daily.

"My mother never got to see today, but all I know is William and Katie's legacy will make a change going forward. While some say the system is corrupt - I just call it the Scottish Prison System, we will never be bigger than them."

William's brother John Reilly
William's brother John Reilly -Credit:Ross Turpie Daily Record / Sunday Mail

Solicitor, Aamer Anwar, said Katie and William were handed "a death sentence", as he called for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to change the law to allow prisons to be prosecuted.

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In his determination, Sheriff Collins found there were reasonable precautions by which both deaths might realistically have been avoided, and that systemic failures contributed to them.

He issued 25 recommendations - which the families' solicitor Aamer Anwar said he believes will be "ignored" by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) unless it becomes mandatory to implement them.

The Scottish Prison Service has apologised for the failures identified in the report and said it will carefully consider the recommendations.

At today's press conference, Mr Anwar claimed the SPS, former prison governors, the NHS Forth Valley health board, the Scottish Government, and a succession of first ministers and justice ministers were "complicit in the deaths that continue to take place".

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He said: "We do not have a death sentence in this country, but for Katie and William, that is what you served on them." He claimed that over six years, public servants "denied the truth", "lied and conducted a whitewash" and "gaslighted the families".

He said some of those involved "should be facing criminal prosecution".

An SPS spokesperson said: "Our thoughts remain with the families of Katie Allan and William Lindsay and we would like to take this opportunity to offer our sincere condolences and apologies for the failures identified in this report.

"We are committed to doing everything we can to support people and keep them safe during the most challenging and vulnerable periods of their lives.

"We are grateful to Sheriff Collins for his recommendations, which we will now carefully consider before responding further."

Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: "My deepest sympathies and condolences are with the families of Katie Allan and William Lindsay, who have lost a child and sibling.

"I am deeply sorry about their deaths and that their families have had to wait so long for the conclusion of this process."

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