Inquiry to be held into death of killer who was one of Scotland's longest serving prisoners

An inquiry is to be held into the death of a killer who was one of Scotland’s longest serving prisoners.

72-year-old Arthur Duncan died within HMP Grampian in Aberdeenshire on 13 August 2024 following a decline in his health.

Duncan was convicted of raping and murdering 22-year-old Linda Bull in Andover, Hampshire, on June 3, 1970. He was aged 18 and was serving in the Royal Artillery and did not know her.

Miss Bull was walking home from a friend’s house the night of the attack and was she was found dead the next morning close to her home. Duncan, who was from Aberdeen, then spent 54 years being moved around Scottish prison estate.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service are obliged to investigate deaths in custody and a Fatal Accident Inquiry mandatory. A Preliminary Hearing will be held on 10 June 2026 at Peterhead Sheriff Court.

The purpose of a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) includes determining the cause of death; the circumstances in which the death occurred; and to establish what steps, if any, could have been taken to minimise the risk of future deaths in similar circumstances.