Why did a choose resolve to jail tragic inmate Katie Allan?

A choose claimed it was ‘unimaginable’ for him to not jail a drink driving college pupil who went on to take her personal life in custody regardless of the sufferer’s household pleading with him to spare her.

Katie Allan took her personal life inside Polmont Young Offenders Institution, Stirlingshire after she was sentenced to 16 months for harmful driving. 

The 21-year-old, who had no earlier convictions, all the time insisted she didn’t realise she had hit anybody after her tyre blew and she or he hit an island after consuming 4 pints earlier than then driving off. 

Ms Allan was jailed regardless of the younger male sufferer, who recovered from his accidents, and his household pleading with the sheriff to not imprison her. 

Sentencing her in 2018, Sheriff David Pender advised her it ought to have been ‘very apparent’ she was not in a match state to drive and that the ‘mixture of the 2 expenses’ – harmful driving and drink-driving – made it ‘unimaginable’ for him to not jail her. 

Ms Allen was described as coming from a ‘regular household’ from East Renfrewshire. Her mom Linda is a nurse and former Scottish authorities advisor, whereas her father Stuart specialises in information and traits. Describing the second her daughter was jailed, Linda mentioned in a 2021 interview: ‘She turned within the dock as she was getting handcuffed and mentioned: ”Help me, Mum” – then she received dragged away.’ The couple have a son, Scott. 

Ms Allan’s mom Linda advised a jail officer that her daughter ‘was being berated by fellow inmates’ on the day of her demise.  

The agreed proof was heard on the first day of a deadly accident inquiry (FAI) at Falkirk Sheriff Court, which is trying into the deaths of Ms Allan and one other inmate, William Brown.

Mr Brown, 16, was remanded in custody after being deemed a ‘potential danger to public security’ at Glasgow Sheriff Court on October 4, 2018, three days earlier than his demise. He was discovered lifeless in his cell the day after his suicide watch was stopped as a result of he posed ‘no obvious danger’.

The inquiry additionally heard that on October 3, 2018, Mr Brown had walked right into a police station with a knife, whereas on bail for an additional blade offence. He was locked up for being a ‘potential danger to public security’.

It beforehand emerged that Allan was allegedly pressured to parade bare in entrance of jail workers throughout a seek for a jail coaching train, made to provide her belongings away and bullied. Linda Allan mentioned she believed her daughter’s compliant nature was making her daughter a straightforward goal for the wardens to ‘attain their strip-search quotas’.

In a press release exterior court docket, the households’ solicitor Aamer Anwar urged First Minister Humza Yousaf to work to take away Crown immunity, which suggests the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is exempt from prosecution for the deaths.

Ms Allan’s mother and father, Linda and Stuart, stood with Mr Anwar as he mentioned they need the First Minister to carry the SPS to account. 

He added: ‘Whilst the households recognise at present as a milestone of their journey for the reality, it’s actually not the top of the method. The First Minister, Humza Yousaf, should not betray the numerous guarantees he made to those households while justice minister. He can’t escape behind a veil of silence.’

The inquiry heard Ms Allan, from Clarkston, Glasgow, was jailed on March 5, 2018, for 16 months for harmful driving whereas over the drink-drive restrict. She was initially taken to Cornton Vale Prison, Stirling, telling a nurse when she arrived that she had beforehand self harmed by slicing herself on the wrists. 

She was transferred two days later to Polmont YOI, close to Falkirk.

The afternoon earlier than she was discovered lifeless, she was visited by her mom and brother.  The FAI heard that on the finish of the go to, her mom advised an officer that Ms Allan ‘was being berated by fellow inmates and was terrified’.

She was final seen alive by workers at about 8.10pm that day, June 3, 2018, watching TV in her cell and saying ‘hello’ to a jail officer. The subsequent morning she was discovered lifeless, having taken her personal life. 

She had left a observe on the desk in her cell, and letters to her mom, grandmother and a buddy had been discovered on her bookshelf.

The court docket heard she had misplaced greater than a stone in weight throughout her three months in Polmont. 

The inquiry was advised Mr Brown had a historical past of creating suicidal statements. 

Asked by a social employee if he was suicidal, he replied: ‘No, not now, however I do not know the way I’ll be in jail.’

He was initially placed on a 30-minute statement ‘for reassurance and security’. However, on October 5 a case convention was held with a psychological well being nurse and two jail officers, the place he was assessed as ‘at no obvious danger of suicide’.

He was discovered lifeless at 7.40am on October 7, almost 12 hours after final having contact with workers.

The Scottish Government mentioned it couldn’t touch upon the FAI however would ‘fastidiously take into account the result’. The inquiry continues.

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