The Lord Advocate has committed to a thorough investigation following the death of a Fife man in custody last year.
Joseph Sneddon from Ballingry died at Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital in the early hours of April 8, after being admitted for mental health issues.
His family staged a press conference on Wednesday morning to reveal they are demanding answers, accusing officials of withholding details of the exact circumstances of his death.
Following a meeting with Scotland’s top law official later in the day, they say they have some clarity but questions remain unanswered.
It was established six police officers and two hospital security guards were responsible for restraining Mr Sneddon over a period of two-and-a-half to three hours.
This was revised from an initial claim of more than four hours made by the family, a discrepancy family lawyer Aamer Anwer said will form part of the investigation.
Discrepancies
The meeting also revealed Mr Sneddon suffered 36 injuries – an increase from the initial 34 that were known about – and that officers were allowed to sit together on their return to Kirkcaldy police station.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Anwar said: “The Lord Advocate was told by the family that they have been tortured by the lack of information as to how and why Joseph Sneddon met his death.
“The Lord Advocate said the narrative of restraint of Joseph Sneddon is critical to determining if there is any potential criminality on behalf of the police officers, security guards, and the Victoria Hospital and the Crown Office wanted to ensure that the narrative was accurate and nothing interfered with the integrity of their investigation.
“It is clear that Joseph was a terrified young man as he faced the brutal use of force, in what his family had hoped would be a place of safety whilst he was in the midst of a mental health crisis.
“The Lord Advocate promised the family a robust and independent investigation.
“Did Police Scotland really think that Joseph’s life was so cheap that his family would just walk away?
“The Sneddon family are determined to fight for justice and the truth for Joseph, however long it takes.”
Crown commitment
Joseph’s mother Jane said she was slightly more reassured following the meeting.
“There’s a lot of still answers still not answered but they will be hopefully,” she said.
Lord Advocate for Scotland Dorothy Bain KC said the Crown is committed to investigating the 37-year-old’s death.
She said: “I would like to thank the Sneddon family for meeting with me and for sharing their experiences. I was able to update them on the initial and on-going investigation into Joseph’s death and I listened carefully to what they had to say.
“The Crown is committed to the thorough and effective investigation of all deaths which occur in legal custody.
“The Crown have engaged and updated the family in the course of the investigation and are committed to continuing to do so as the investigation continues.”
PIRC response
A spokesman for the PIRC (Police Investigations and Review Commissioner) said it had already handed its investigation report to the Crown.
He said: “The Crown Office and the Procurator Fiscal (COPFS) Service instructed the PIRC to investigate the circumstances surrounding police contact leading up to the death (of Mr Sneddon).
“Our investigation report was issued to COPFS on 4 October 2022.
“Our findings and report and updates are strictly confidential and cannot be released or shared on our website.
“Our thoughts remain with the family who were supported and updated throughout our enquiry by specialist trained officers.”
Police Scotland expressed its sympathies to the family of Mr Sneddon but declined to comment as enquires are ongoing.
