The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Second inmate of prison dies
Two deaths from suspected coronavirus at Perth in as many days as Fifer passes away
A second Perth Prison inmate has died in as many days with suspected coronavirus.
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) announced the death of 65-year-old Alex Drysdale yesterday.
He was convicted at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court in February.
It comes the day after the death of another inmate at the same prison, George Greenshields, 68, was announced. The Perth resident had been convicted of murder at the High Court in Glasgow in July 1988 after killing a homeless man, then burning his body.
He was given early release in 2005 and latterly moved to Perth but was recalled under the terms of his life sentence the following year after pleading guilty to slitting a man’s throat.
They are the fifth and sixth inmates whose deaths in Scottish prisons have been attributed to Covid-19.
Last month, the deaths of four prisoners were announced which were believed to be linked to the virus.
It is understood Drysdale, originally of Kirkcaldy, was returned to prison on recall three months ago.
Known to many as “Zeek” and wellknown locally in the Kirkcaldy and
Dysart areas, he is believed to have battled the effects of coronavirus for some time but passed away on Thursday morning.
The Scottish Harness Racing Club, of which Drysdale was a passionate supporter particularly in the 1980s and 1990s, paid its own tribute to “Zeek” on social media, describing him as “one of trotting’s great characters”.
Prison officials said there are currently fewer than five confirmed cases of Covid-19 at HMP Perth.
The SPS said in a statement that Police Scotland has been informed of all the deaths and they will be reported to the procurator fiscal.
As is standard for deaths in custody, fatal accident inquiries will be held “in due course”.
As of Thursday, the latest figures available, there were 21 prisoners selfisolating in six locations across Scotland, of which two have tested positive for Covid-19.
George Greenshields was 54 when he was jailed for eight years for assaulting Neil Balfour.
He struck his victim on the neck with a bread knife and left the blood-soaked man telling doctors, “I’m going to die”.
He was originally charged with attempted murder, and a judge said he had considered using discretionary powers to jail him again for life.
Greenshields’ licence allowed his release from the life term for the 1988 murder of James Griffin, who was hacked to death, burned and buried near his then-home in Dennistoun.
He was let out on parole in 2005 and had been living in Perth’s Stronsay Court. After being free for just over six months he committed the brutal attack on Mr Balfour in a flat at Drumhar Court, Perth, after he had been drinking.
Greenshields had married a Dundee woman in prison in 1999 after they struck up a relationship as pen pals but was living unemployed and single in Perth when he attacked Mr Balfour.