By Eric Nicolson

A RELIANCE custody officer was yesterday accused of having told a Fife man he was escorting to Perth Prison that if he was thinking of hanging himself later that day—which he went on to do—he would happily have helped him “tie the noose tighter.”

The claim was made at the second day of a fatal accident inquiry into the death of John Brown (32), from Glenrothes, who committed suicide in the prison on June 2 last year.

One of the Reliance officers who transported Mr Brown to Kirkcaldy Police Station for an identity parade and then back to Perth, William Hines (40), strongly denied the suggestion —insisting it was a malicious lie from a man with a grudge.

The man who made the claim yesterday was another prisoner, David Williamson, who was under the “bed watch” of Mr Hines at Perth Royal Infirmary a few months after Mr Brown’s death.

He told the inquiry, “There was a conversation between Mr Hines and Brian Anderson (a Reliance colleague).

“Mr Hines was speaking to Mr Anderson informing him he had been cited to an FAI.

“He was discussing how to get out of it. He was going to make up an excuse about his car breaking down.

“Mr Anderson said he had been cited as well.

“Apparently Mr Hines had picked up Mr Brown at Kirkcaldy.

“There was a suggestion that Mr Brown was feeling suicidal and Mr Hines replied and said, ‘let me know when you’re going to do it and I’ll tie the noose tighter.’

“There was mention made that he had hanged himself a couple of hours after getting back to prison.

“Mr Anderson informed Mr Hines that he didn’t think he would get away with not attending the FAI.”

Mr Williamson, an inmate at Saughton Prison, said he had no grudge with either Mr Hines or Mr Anderson and had nothing to gain by “telling lies.”

The inquiry heard he had told prison staff about the PRI comments and written to the procurator fiscal in Perth.

Mr Anderson was the driver of the Reliance van on June 2 and said he was not aware of any conversation between Mr Hines and Mr Brown.

Asked about the alleged remark his colleague was said to have made at PRI, he pointed out, “Absolutely not. I would have remembered that given the circumstances. I think that’s quite ludicrous. He didn’t say that.”

Mr Hines said he had no conversation of note in the van with Mr Brown and if he had said he was suicidal he would have “stopped at the nearest police station.”

He also vehemently denied the PRI comments and suggested Mr Williamson has a grudge against him.

He was reluctant to give the details of this grudge, revealing only that it was connected to a “medical” matter relating to Mr Williamson.

Mr Hines added, “He has openly said, ‘I’m going to get you back’.”

Meanwhile, the officer in charge of Perth Prison at the time of Mr Brown’s suicide declined to give his opinion on whether the policy of having just one member of staff patrolling a hall during staff lunch breaks should be changed.

When Mr Brown was found dead in his cell, prison officer Brian Simpson had to radio for support before opening the door, as he was the only member of staff covering the hall.

A Hall contains 160 prisoners over four levels.

It is normal practice for everyone else to go for lunch at the same time.

Mr Simpson told the inquest on Wednesday that he could not enter the cell as regulations state doors cannot be opened without three prison officers per inmate being present.

There were three prisoners in that particular cell.

Colin Young, a security manager at Perth Prison, said he was in charge of the prison during the lunchtime patrol period.

Mr Simpson, made a broken radio call which clearly showed that he was “under some sort of duress,” Mr Young pointed out.

At that point Mr Young made his way to A Hall with three other officers who were on their lunch break.

When they arrived, Mr Simpson was standing at the cell door and it was immediately obvious “some sort of incident was taking place.”

Mr Young opened the door and two inmates were led out, and at that point he could “see a pair of legs visible at the toilet.”

A member of the medical staff cut the ligature from which Mr Brown was hanging (a bed sheet) as Mr Young supported the body.

Mr Young noticed marks on Mr Brown’s forearms, a letter and a suicide note on prison issue paper, both in the toilet area.

David Younger, the prison officer who assessed Mr Brown when he returned to the prison after being taken for the identity parade, said he saw nothing to concern him in his manner at that time.

He said, “He was fine and was talking away perfectly freely.”

The inquiry, before Sheriff Robert McCreadie, was adjourned to September 22.