Inquiry set for death of 13-year-old Robyn Goldie whose mum left her dying to go to pub

A date has been set for the fatal accident inquiry into the death of a 13-year-old girl who was left dying by her mum while she went to the pub.

Robyn Goldie, from Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, died on July 26, 2018 after she developed peritonitis – an infection of the stomach lining which can be life-threatening if left untreated.

Earlier that day, Sharon Goldie had claimed her daughter was “attention seeking” despite the sick child begging for help, and went to the pub instead.

After arriving home, the 45-year-old found her daughter slumped on the couch, but left her to go out to the garden to have a drink with a friend.

It was only after they eventually discovered Robyn was dead that an ambulance was finally called.

She had suffered a perforated duodenal ulcer after her mother failed to seek medical treatment for her.

Sharon Goldie was jailed for three years and six months at the High Court in Edinburgh in 2020, reduced from four years following a guilty plea.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) ordered a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into Robyn death earlier this year and have now confirmed it will begin on September 9.

The purpose of an FAI includes determining the cause of death, the circumstances in which it occurred, and to establish what, if any, reasonable precautions could have been taken, and could be implemented in the future.

The inquiry will explore the circumstances of the teenager’s death, with a particular focus on interactions with social work services.

A preliminary hearing took place on June 3 at Hamilton Sheriff Court.

Procurator Fiscal Katrina Parkes, head of COPFS’s Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit, said:  “The Lord Advocate considers that the death of Robyn Goldie occurred in circumstances giving rise to significant public concern and as such a discretionary Fatal Accident Inquiry should be held.

“An FAI will allow a full public airing of all the available evidence at which interested parties will be represented.

“The evidence will be tested in a public setting and be the subject of an independent judicial determination.”

After all the evidence has been considered, the sheriff will make a determination, setting out when and where the death occurred, the cause of death and any precautions which could have reasonably been taken.

It comes after a case review by North Lanarkshire Child Protection Committee last year outlined a string of failings in the years leading up to Robyn’s death.

It was found that social workers had displayed a “lack of urgency” over escalating problems at the family home, trying to assist Robyn in “achieving her own safety” rather than focusing on a lack of parental care.