A prisoner who died in his cell 12 days after testing positive for Covid-19 was treated “worse than an animal”, his family’s lawyer has said.
Relatives of Calum Inglis also spoke of their “horror” at his death, after the company which runs HMP Addiewell and the Lothian health board admitted criminal charges in relation to the 34-year-old’s death.
The case is believed to be the first successful prosecution of its kind in the UK, and comes after the Crown Office investigated around 6,000 deaths related to coronavirus.
Mr Inglis was serving a short sentence in HMP Addiewell and had just months left before his release when he contracted Covid on October 12, 2021.
He was asthmatic and unvaccinated, and was found dead in his cell on October 24 at the West Lothian prison, which is run by Sodexo on behalf of the Scottish Prison Service, after his health deteriorated.
A hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told that during the 12-day period, he was isolated in his cell and was not seen by a nurse, and he had told his family he was coughing up significant amounts of blood.
During the final days of his life, he is believed to have repeatedly requested medical attention using his cell intercom, but he was never seen by a nurse.
The court heard Sodexo, which operates the prison, had failed to adequately monitor Mr Inglis after he tested positive.
Lothian health board, which provided prison healthcare services, had failed to put an adequate care plan in place for the prisoner.
Both organisations admitted criminal charges of failing to ensure they had adhered to their duties under health and safety legislation.
Sheriff Julius Komorowski expressed his condolences to Mr Inglis’s family, who were present in the courtroom as the guilty pleas were entered, saying he had died in “awful circumstances”.
The sheriff said: “This death must seem senseless.”
Fiscal depute Connor Muir said an expert report had criticised the poor record-keeping in relation to the administration of paracetamol on the prison wing, something which Mr Inglis repeatedly asked for.
He said that if the 34-year-old had received proper medical care, it would have “significantly increased his chances of surviving”.
Speaking on behalf of the family following the hearing, solicitor Aamer Anwar said: “Calum had a right to life, but his family believe he was treated worse than an animal.
“Left caged, terrified and alone, repeatedly pressing at intercom, screaming for help, coughing up blood.
“He was left to die alone and without dignity for 12 days, without any support from prison officers or healthcare staff from Lothian health board.”
He said the case is the “first successful prosecution in the United Kingdom for a Covid-19-related death”.
He said HMP Addiewell is “not fit for purpose” and called for Sodexo’s contract to be cancelled.
Mr Anwar said that at one point, Mr Inglis messaged his family to say “I can’t walk five steps in my cell without losing my breath”.
His mother Jennifer Inglis, a former nurse, said: “Knowing how my boy must have suffered in his cell for 12 days, it is something that will haunt me for the rest of my life.
“He was not just a prisoner. He was my son, a brother, an uncle, and a nephew. He was loved, he mattered.
“He deserved compassion, dignity, and proper medical care.”
She said she could not describe her “horror” at hearing of her son’s cause of death.
Mr Inglis’s sister Frances Marr said the family will continue to push for accountability for the individuals involved in her brother’s death at a fatal accident inquiry.
Last year, Scotland’s top law officer instructed the prosecution of the private prison operator of HMP Addiewell in relation to the case.
The case is next expected to call at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in December.
A Sodexo spokesperson said: “We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of Calum Inglis following his death at HMP Addiewell in October 2021.
“However, as the legal proceedings have not yet concluded, it would be inappropriate for us to comment any further at this time.”
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