Lord Advocate to meet family of Covid prisoner who 'died alone in agony'

Scotland’s most senior law officer will meet with the family of a man who say their son died alone in his prison cell after testing positive for Covid-19.

Calum Inglis, 34, was serving a short sentence in HMP Addiewell in West Lothian when he tested positive for Covid-19 on October 12, 2021.

He was asthmatic and unvaccinated, and died on October 24 after his health deteriorated rapidly, his family alleged.

During the 12-day period, he was not seen by a nurse, and reported being breathless and coughing up significant amounts of blood, they said.

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It is alleged that in the last four days of his life, he repeatedly requested medical attention via his cell intercom and was promised by prison officers that someone would see him in the morning, but nobody came.

On October 24, 2021, Calum was found unresponsive in his cell.

He “died alone, without help, without dignity”, according to his family’s solicitor, Aamer Anwar.

Mr Anwar said: “The family have previously called for the criminal prosecution of Addiewell Prison for their treatment of Calum Inglis.

“Addiewell, because it is a private prison, has no Crown immunity.”

HMP Addiewell is a private prison run by Sodexo Justice Services on behalf of the Scottish Prison Service.

The family and Mr Anwar will be meet the Lord Advocate on Wednesday at the Crown Office in Edinburgh.

Speaking outside the Scottish Covid Inquiry in October 2023, Calum Inglis’s father, Alan Inglis, said: “Calum was unvaccinated and was asthmatic. Within the next 12 days Calum’s health would deteriorate rapidly. Throughout this entire period he was not seen by a nurse.

“He reported being breathless and coughing up significant amounts of blood. In the last four days of his life, he repeatedly requested medical attention via his cell intercom, to be promised by the prison officers that someone would see him.

“On October 24, 2021, two years today, my son was found unresponsive in his cell. He died alone, without help, without dignity.

“The Scottish Covid Inquiry must find out which protocols the prison were following at this time, protocols that would allow such barbaric behaviour to take place, and to examine the staff work culture within that prison where staff must have known how ill my son was, yet did nothing.

“I am looking for accountability and looking to this inquiry to deliver it.”

The Inglis family will arrive at the Crown Office in Edinburgh at 10.15am, with the meeting expected to last about an hour, according to solicitor Mr Anwar.

A statement will be made outside the Crown Office following the meeting.

A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: “Our thoughts continue to be with the family and loved ones of Mr Inglis.

“The Scottish Prison Service is fully committed to working with the Scottish Covid Inquiry and supporting it’s important work.”

Sodexo has been contacted for comment.