Sheku Bayoh family member receives over £1m in compensation from Police Scotland

Ten members of the family of Sheku Bayoh have received compensation from Police Scotland, including a single award of more than £1 million.

In March, almost ten years after Mr Bayoh’s death, his family resolved the civil action first raised in May 2018 after reaching an out-of-court settlement concerning his death.

The settlement was agreed without any admission of liability by Police Scotland, the family’s lawyer Aamer Anwar confirmed.

Sheku Bayoh, a father-of-two, died after he was restrained by around six police officers who were called to reports of a man carrying a knife on Hayfield Road in Kirkcaldy on May 3, 2015.

Officers restrained him by his legs and arms, used CS spray or tear gas and batons and were accused of using excessive force.

Mr Bayoh lost consciousness after being restrained and was pronounced dead in hospital.

His family launched a civil action against Police Scotland three years later and an ongoing public inquiry was launched to examine the circumstances leading to the death and whether or not race was a factor.

It has now been revealed that up to ten members of the family have received compensation from Police Scotland, including a single award of more than £1m.

The figure appears in a report for the Scottish Police Authority’s (SPA) legal committee under the heading ‘public liability claims’.

The SPA report said “quarter 4 saw the settlement of a very large litigation that involved several pursuers”.

The total figure for all relatives of Mr Bayoh was not revealed, but in 2018, Mr Anwar said the action for damages in the Court of Session was for £1.85m.

The settlement was agreed without any admission of liability by Police Scotland, the lawyer confirmed, who previously said that Mr Bayoh’s case was a “national disgrace”.

“On May 3, it will be the tenth anniversary of Sheku’s death in police custody, however the struggle for the truth continues,” he previously said.

“As we reach the final stages of the Public Inquiry, those who broke the law should remember there is no time limit on justice. There will be no further comment today.”

The Scottish Police Federation, the body that represents rank and file officers, said it was “surprised” by the chief constable’s decision to settle the claim against the force.

A spokesperson said: “The only person who can be said indisputably to have broken the law is Sheku Bayoh.

“On any view of the evidence, he took illegal drugs, engaged in a fight with a friend, armed himself with a large knife and then took to the streets of Kirkcaldy, where he terrified many members of the public who asked the police to help before assaulting a female police officer by punching her to the ground.

“These are facts which are wholly unchallenged.

“As the inquiry continues, it would be inappropriate to say any more at this stage, other than to remind the public that the clear position of the officers involved in the apprehension of Mr Bayoh is that they acted reasonably, in the public interest in the circumstances, given the danger that he presented.”