The family of a man who died in police custody in Fife in 2022 have demanded answers amid what they have branded a “veil of secrecy” and lack of support from the authorities.
Joseph Sneddon died at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy in the early hours of April 8, after being admitted for mental health issues.
The 37-year-old, described by his family as “fit and healthy”, was allegedly restrained for “a prolonged period”.
They are accusing officials of failing to be open around the exact circumstances of his death.
Joseph, a father-of-two from Ballingry, who helped with his father’s window cleaning business, is believed to have been restrained for “at least” four hours, a process his mother believes would have left him “terrified”.
The family was given a 21-page autopsy report, of which 10 pages are completely redacted.
However, it revealed the 8st 3lb dad had a total of 34 separate injuries, including cuts and bruises.
The family met with the Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain on Wednesday to demand answers.
Accusation of ‘hiding something’
Speaking at a press conference before the meeting, Joseph’s mum Jane said: “It’s devastating.
“The girls (Mr Sneddon’s sisters) are not eating, they’re not sleeping.
“When Laura (his sister) left him at 3.45pm he was sitting up in bed, drinking a bottle of Lucozade and eating a packet of crisps.
“He was confused but he wasn’t ill, he was happy.”
She added of the night her son died: “I feel like they are trying to hide something.
“When we went into the hospital that night, we just couldn’t believe it.
“I couldn’t take in what they were saying.
“How could this happen? He wasn’t ill – how could he take a turn for the worst?”
‘Nobody gives a monkey’s’
Joseph’s uncle James Scougall said the biggest issue is how the family has been treated.
“The withholding of information, the lack of communication, the lack of support – nobody seems to give a monkey’s what happened after this.
“I think the authorities thought it’s going to go away – well I’m afraid it’s not.
“All we want is answers.”
He added: “When Joseph Sneddon walked into that hospital he was physically fit.
“We are unsure of his mental state but he walked into the hospital and 48 hours later he’s dead.
“Nobody’s given us any sense of it, an explanation – and that’s what this is about – answer the questions.
“You get this report redacted – they’d have been as well not giving us a report. All they’ve done is create more suspicion.”
Comparison to Sheku Bayoh inquiry
Asked to what extent they believe the ongoing Sheku Bayoh inquiry has contributed to the situation in which they find themselves, the family solicitor Aamer Anwar, said only officials knew the answer.
The lawyer – who also represents the Bayoh family – said: “That’s a question the Lord Advocate has to answer and the PIRC has to answer and the Chief Constable has to answer and the hospital trust has to answer.
“They are the ones who have to answer – why is there a veil of secrecy over this case?
“Why has not a single member of the press been able to find… that somebody had died in Kirkcaldy by the name of Joseph Sneddon and he died in hospital following contact with the police?
“Why is it such a secret? Why has it been hidden away and why is the family not given any details – the same details that every other family normally receive following the death of their son or daughter in this country?
“That is the very least they are entitled to.
“Why has it been hidden away, what are they worried about?
“Dorothy Bain knows better than any other Lord Advocate what it means to a family to be denied information, to be obstructed, for a family to have to campaign for justice.
“She was senior counsel for the Sheku Bayoh family and was instructed by my firm for five to six years before she became Lord Advocate.”
Police Scotland expressed its sympathies to the family of Mr Sneddon but declined to comment as enquires are ongoing.
PIRC and the Crown Office have been contacted for comment.
Sheku Bayoh
Sheku Bayoh died on May 3, 2015 after being restrained by police in Kirkcaldy’s Hayfield Road.
His death led to his family demanding a public inquiry into the circumstances of his death, which got underway last year.
The inquiry has previously heard how officers tackled Mr Bayoh after members of the public reported him wandering the streets with a knife.
Mr Bayoh later died in hospital following the incident.
Officers told the inquiry that Mr Bayoh had “stamped” on PC Nicole Short.
The inquiry, chaired by Lord Bracadale, aims to examine the circumstances surrounding his death and whether race was a factor.
