The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Quest for answers over Sheku death continues
Probe: Interim report submitted but experts pursue inquiries
Experts are still working on putting together the final pieces of the jigsaw which could reveal how Sheku Bayoh died in police custody.
Although an interim report by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) has been handed to the Crown Office, analysis is continuing to be carried out to determine the Kirkcaldy man’s cause of death.
The Courier understands that specialists from across the UK are still examining notes in an attempt to find more conclusive answers after an initial post mortem proved inconclusive.
The 31-year-old father-of-two collapsed after being detained by police on May 3. His family fears he may have been the victim of positional asphyxiation after he was restrained by several officers using batons and CS spray.
The police claim officers responded to reports of a man wielding a knife and restrained him when he became violent, an allegation disputed by those close to Mr Bayoh.
Local MSP David Torrance has called for full clarity into the investigation and revealed he has paved the way for the family to meet Justice Secretary Michael Matheson once the report is completed.
He said: “It’s got to be open, transparent and the truth has got to come out about what happened on the day.”
It is understood Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland has the bulk of the PIRC report.
It has been reported he is likely to call for a fatal accident inquiry, which would see full evidence of the case played out in a courtroom.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Stephen House held secret meetings with the officers at the centre of the case for “welfare” reasons.
He has not met the Bayoh family but paid a home visit to one of the constables, Nicole Short, who is due to stand trial for alleged data protection breaches unconnected to the death in custody.
Family solicitor Aamer Anwar questioned the purpose of the chief constable’s meetings and said there were “real questions over his judgment”.