Jail and health board admit criminal charges over Covid death prisoner

A private company managing a prison and the regional health board have both admitted to criminal offenses following the death of an inmate who contracted Covid-19 while incarcerated. This case marks what is believed to be the first prosecution of its kind in the United Kingdom, emerging after the Crown Office conducted investigations into approximately 6,000 pandemic-related deaths.

Calum Inglis, aged 34 and originally from Edinburgh, was serving a brief sentence at HMP Addiewell in West Lothian for a serious assault when he tested positive for coronavirus on 12 October 2021. Despite being asthmatic and unvaccinated, Inglis’s declining health reportedly went unaddressed; he was found deceased in his prison cell 12 days later. The prison itself, operated by Sodexo under contract with the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), was supported by NHS Lothian for healthcare services.

Court proceedings revealed that before Inglis’s death on 24 October 2021, he had not been examined by an NHS Lothian nurse despite his repeated requests for medical assistance via the cell intercom. His family’s legal representatives stated that he was experiencing breathlessness and coughing up significant quantities of blood, yet these symptoms were apparently ignored. It was further disclosed that Sodexo had failed to properly monitor Inglis after his positive Covid-19 test, while NHS Lothian did not implement a sufficient care plan for him. Consequently, both organizations acknowledged violations of health and safety laws.

During the Edinburgh Sheriff Court hearing where guilty pleas were entered, Sheriff Julius Komorowski offered condolences to Inglis’s family, describing the circumstances of his death as “awful” and “senseless.” An expert report presented by Fiscal depute Connor Muir criticized the inadequate record-keeping related to administering paracetamol on the prison wing—medication Inglis frequently requested. Muir emphasized that had adequate medical care been provided, Inglis’s chances of survival would have been significantly improved.

Inglis was one among 16 prisoners in Scotland who died from Covid-19 during the pandemic. His family recalled him as a quiet and shy child who later encountered difficulties and became involved in petty crime. After some stability in his twenties, Inglis was imprisoned in June 2020 for a serious assault and maintained regular contact with his parents during his sentence. He had been due to complete an 18-month sentence and had even secured a job ahead of release. However, 16 weeks prior to finishing his term, he caught Covid-19. His asthma symptoms worsened, and despite increasing inhaler dosages, his breathing deteriorated. His lifeless body was discovered early on 24 October 2021.

Following the hearing, family solicitor Aamer Anwar spoke on their behalf, stating: “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.” Anwar highlighted that this is the UK’s first successful prosecution connected to a Covid-19 death and called into question the suitability of HMP Addiewell, Scotland’s only private prison, urging for Sodexo’s contract to be terminated.

Calum’s mother, Jennifer, a former nurse, reflected on the tragic ordeal: “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.” His sister, Frances Marr, expressed that the family intends to continue seeking accountability for those responsible through an upcoming Fatal Accident Inquiry. Further court proceedings for sentencing are scheduled for 17 December at Edinburgh Sheriff Court