William Devine: Inquiry into death of prisoner who died while in custody at Glasgow prison

A fatal accident inquiry is to be held into the death of a prisoner while in custody at HMP Barlinnie.

William Devine, 43, died on April 7, 2024 while serving a sentence at the Glasgow prison.

As he was in legal custody and under the care of the state at the time of his death, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) is required by law to investigate the circumstances and hold a mandatory Fatal Accident Inquiry.

The COPFS has now lodged a First Notice to begin court proceedings, with a preliminary hearing due to take place at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

Procurator Fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads on death investigations for COPFS, said: “The Lord Advocate considers that the death of William Devine occurred while he was in legal custody and, as such, a Fatal Accident Inquiry is mandatory.

“The lodging of the First Notice enables FAI proceedings to begin under the direction of the Sheriff.”

The purpose of a Fatal Accident Inquiry is to establish the cause of death, examine the circumstances surrounding it, and identify any reasonable steps that could have been taken to reduce the risk of similar deaths occurring in the future.

Unlike criminal proceedings, FAIs are fact-finding investigations and do not seek to determine criminal liability or apportion blame.