Family of Peterhead prison siege ringleader say he was treated inhumanely while dying

The widow of John Gallagher, the mastermind behind the infamous 1980s Peterhead prison rooftop siege, has condemned the treatment of her husband in his final days as "barbaric."

Convicted murderer Gallagher, aged 72, was allegedly denied compassionate release and remained shackled to guards while dying in hospital. Susie, 62, expressed her distress, stating: "The way my husband was treated in his dying days was just barbaric.

"The two guards were there 24/7 and they were there when he died."

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Despite being initially ordered by medical staff to remove his restraints, including chains and handcuffs, Susie claims that her husband was under relentless surveillance by custody officers from a private firm contracted by the Scottish Prison Service. She lamented the lack of privacy during this time, saying: "They never gave us one moment to ourselves. They would sit on either side of the bed listening to every word. We could not speak with any privacy."

Gallagher's death came before an application for his release could be considered by Scottish Government ministers. He had been serving a sentence since 1979 for murdering a butcher in a failed Glasgow robbery.

However, his name became notorious following the 1984 Peterhead riot, where prisoners took officers hostage and staged a protest against conditions, leading to a five-day standoff resolved only after then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher deployed the SAS, reports the Daily Record.

Gallagher, who was out on licence, discovered he had cancer on November 3 and was taken back into custody the following week after being arrested on drug-related charges.

His wife Susie has stated that while he had a life expectancy of up to two years, his condition worsened rapidly during his time in prison, leading to his death at Raigmore Hospital after being transferred from Inverness Prison just five days prior.

Susie, from Culloden, Inverness, argued that her husband deserved compassionate release, similar to that granted to Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Al Megrahi, with whom Gallagher had formed a friendship during their time in Greenock Prison; Megrahi even once sent her a Christmas card.

This was not Gallagher's first time being recalled for parole violations. He was previously convicted of a stabbing incident in 2004, resulting in a nine-year prison sentence before he was released again.

A fatal accident inquiry is set to investigate Gallagher's death. His solicitor, Graham Mann, commented: "We wrote to the Scottish ministers and asked for his immediate release but it didn't happen."

Mann also expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of Gallagher's final days, saying, "There was never any relaxation in the hospital and he was a prisoner right to the last. It was handled insensitively and inappropriately in what was clearly his dying days."

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) responded by stating: "Every death, in prison custody or our communities, is a tragedy, and our thoughts remain with Mr Gallagher's family."

They added, "While it would not be appropriate to comment on an individual ahead of any FAI any application will be carefully considered to determine if there are compassionate grounds justifying release."