A Fatal Accident Inquiry will be launched into the death of a knife killer serving a life sentence in an Ayrshire prison.
Brendan Reilly, 34, was discovered dead in his cell at HMP Bowhouse, previously known as HMP Kilmarnock, on the morning of June 11, 2021.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has filed a First Notice to initiate the legal procedure for a Fatal Accident Inquiry into the deceased.
The inquiry is obligatory, and a preliminary hearing will take place on May 15 at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court.
Reilly was imprisoned for killing David Wilson on a Port Glasgow street in 2005.
Reilly stabbed his 20-year-old victim to death just hours after being released from the Polmont Young Offenders Institute, where he had done time for knife possession.
He was 19 years old when he was attacked, and the tragic assault came after a long-running dispute in the region.
The purpose of a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) is to determine the cause of death, the circumstances surrounding the deaths, and what, if any, reasonable precautions could have been taken and could be implemented in the future to reduce the risk of future deaths in similar situations.
FAIs, unlike criminal processes, are inquisitorial in character and serve to establish facts rather than assign blame.
The inquiry will look into the circumstances surrounding Mr Reilly’s death, with a particular emphasis on SPS instructions regarding morning checks and how management ensures compliance with the guidance.
The inquiry is also likely to look into the issue of drug supply within the prison, as well as regulations and procedures in place to limit it, both then and now.
Procurator fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads on deaths investigations for COPFS, stated that Brendan Reilly died while in lawful custody, requiring a Fatal Accident Inquiry.
“The lodging of the First Notice enables FAI proceedings to commence under the direction of the Sheriff.”
