The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Lord Advocate refuses to offer FAI timescale
Fears have been raised about the plight of Sheku Bayoh’s family as the Lord Advocate could not say when a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) will be held into his death.
Mr Bayoh died shortly after being arrested in Kirkcaldy in an incident involving up to nine police officers in May 2015.
Willie Rennie, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, said the Fife man’s family, and those close to John Yuill and Lamara Bell – the victims of the unrelated M9 tragedy – have been forced to wait too long.
“That’s two-and-a-half years that the families and the police officers have been waiting for inquiries and for answers,” he told MSPs.
“I am genuinely concerned for their welfare.
“Has the Lord Advocate made an assessment of the impact on the families and the police officers of this wait and what can be done to speed up the process?”
An investigation by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc) into Mr Bayoh’s death has been completed and the Crown Office is considering whether criminal proceedings will follow.
The Lord Advocate said the case is complex and a decision over prosecution has to be made before the timing of a FAI can be looked at.
James Wolffe QC, who is the chief law officer in Scotland, told Holyrood he is “acutely conscious” of the impact on those waiting for answers.
“While recognising the effect that the passage of time has for those concerned, my fundamental commitment in the public interest is to ensure that investigations of this sort are undertaken thoroughly, fully and with a view to ensuring that the answers which will be produced at the end of the day are soundly based,” he added.
SNP MP Joanna Cherry expressed concerns back in October 2016 at the length of time it was taking to progress Mr Bayoh’s case.
John Yuill and Lamara Bell died following a crash on the M9 near Stirling in July 2015.
They were found three days after a member of the public first reported an incident to police.