Latest news with #ShekuBayoh
STV News
4 days ago
- STV News
Sheku Bayoh family member receives over £1m in compensation from Police Scotland
Ten members of the family of Sheku Bayoh have received compensation from Police Scotland, including a single award of more than £1 million. In March, almost ten years after Mr Bayoh's death, his family resolved the civil action first raised in May 2018 after reaching an out-of-court settlement concerning his death. The settlement was agreed without any admission of liability by Police Scotland, the family's lawyer Aamer Anwar confirmed. Sheku Bayoh, a father-of-two, died after he was restrained by around six police officers who were called to reports of a man carrying a knife on Hayfield Road in Kirkcaldy on May 3, 2015. Officers restrained him by his legs and arms, used CS spray or tear gas and batons and were accused of using excessive force. Mr Bayoh lost consciousness after being restrained and was pronounced dead in hospital. His family launched a civil action against Police Scotland three years later and an ongoing public inquiry was launched to examine the circumstances leading to the death and whether or not race was a factor. It has now been revealed that up to ten members of the family have received compensation from Police Scotland, including a single award of more than £1m. The figure appears in a report for the Scottish Police Authority's (SPA) legal committee under the heading 'public liability claims'. The SPA report said 'quarter 4 saw the settlement of a very large litigation that involved several pursuers'. The total figure for all relatives of Mr Bayoh was not revealed, but in 2018, Mr Anwar said the action for damages in the Court of Session was for £1.85m. The settlement was agreed without any admission of liability by Police Scotland, the lawyer confirmed, who previously said that Mr Bayoh's case was a 'national disgrace'. 'On May 3, it will be the tenth anniversary of Sheku's death in police custody, however the struggle for the truth continues,' he previously said. 'As we reach the final stages of the Public Inquiry, those who broke the law should remember there is no time limit on justice. There will be no further comment today.' The Scottish Police Federation, the body that represents rank and file officers, said it was 'surprised' by the chief constable's decision to settle the claim against the force. A spokesperson said: 'The only person who can be said indisputably to have broken the law is Sheku Bayoh. 'On any view of the evidence, he took illegal drugs, engaged in a fight with a friend, armed himself with a large knife and then took to the streets of Kirkcaldy, where he terrified many members of the public who asked the police to help before assaulting a female police officer by punching her to the ground. 'These are facts which are wholly unchallenged. 'As the inquiry continues, it would be inappropriate to say any more at this stage, other than to remind the public that the clear position of the officers involved in the apprehension of Mr Bayoh is that they acted reasonably, in the public interest in the circumstances, given the danger that he presented.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Cops paid compensation to 10 Bayoh family members... with one handed over £1m
Up to 10 members of the family of Sheku Bayoh have received compensation from Police Scotland – including a single award of more than £1million. Relatives of Mr Bayoh, who died in police custody back in 2015, halted their attempt to sue the force in March after reaching an out-of-court settlement in relation to his death. Mr Bayoh, 31, who was originally from Sierra Leone in west Africa, died in Kirkcaldy, Fife, after being restrained on the street by six police officers. His family launched a civil action against Police Scotland three years later and an ongoing public inquiry was launched to examine the circumstances leading to Mr Bayoh's death and whether or not race was a factor. The Mail can reveal up to 10 members of the Bayoh family will receive compensation - and the biggest award to one member is £1,070,000. The figure appears in a report for the Scottish Police Authority's (SPA) legal committee under the heading 'public liability claims'. The total figure for all relatives of Mr Bayoh has been kept secret, but in 2018 the Bayoh family's lawyer, Aamer Anwar, said the action for damages in the Court of Session was for £1.85million. The SPA report said 'quarter 4 saw the settlement of a very large litigation that involved several pursuers'. Mr Anwar has said previously that Mr Bayoh's case is a 'national disgrace'. Last night he declined to comment on the compensation payouts. A Police Scotland spokesman said: 'We cannot confirm or deny this.' Mr Bayoh left behind a partner, Colette Bell, two young sons, and a close family including his sister Kadijatu Johnson. In March, a joint statement from Police Scotland and Mr Anwar said a settlement had been agreed without any admission of liability by the force. The statement said that to 'respect the privacy of the family, the details of the agreement will remain confidential.'. In March, a spokesman for the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), representing the officers involved, said: 'The SPF is surprised to find that the Chief Constable has decided to settle this claim.' He added: 'The Bayoh family's solicitor has said that 'those who broke the law should remember there is no time limit on justice'. 'However, the only person who can be said indisputably to have broken the law is Sheku Bayoh. 'On any view of the evidence, he took illegal drugs, engaged in a fight with a friend, armed himself with a large knife and then took to the streets of Kirkcaldy, where he terrified many members of the public who asked the police to help before assaulting a female police officer by punching her to the ground.' The payouts came after Jo Farrell, Police Scotland's Chief Constable, met the Bayoh family in February and offered an apology to them for their ordeal. Mr Bayoh, a father-of-two, was detained by a group of officers responding to reports of a man carrying a knife and acting erratically. Officers restrained him by his legs and arms, used CS spray or tear gas and batons and were accused of using excessive force. His body was covered in cuts, bruises and grazes, including two dozen injuries to his face and neck. Mr Bayoh lost consciousness after being restrained and was pronounced dead in hospital. In 2018, the Lord Advocate ruled that no charges should be brought against any of the officers involved. A year later Humza Yousaf, then the Justice Secretary, ordered an ongoing public inquiry which has so far cost around £50million, including the amounts spent on it by Police Scotland and the Crown Office. The SPF is calling for chairman Lord Bracadale to be removed after complaining that his decision to meet Mr Bayoh's family five times could lead to a perception of 'bias'. The retired High Court judge will chair hearings into his own conduct next week. Police Scotland have paid out millions of pounds in compensation since 2019 to settle legal actions brought by both the public and their own officers. The cash-strapped force has paid out more than £18million in compensation payments in the past six years. Scottish Labour Justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill said these 'significant sums of money' come at a time when 'frontline policing is under so much pressure'. Police Scotland has said compensation payments are 'dealt with on a case-by-case basis with a view to securing best value for the public purse'.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Former judge fears taxpayers' cash wasted on inquiry reports 'gathering dust'
A former top judge has raised fears that taxpayers' money is being wasted because SNP ministers do not act on the recommendations of public inquiries. Lord Hardie, who led the long-running £13million inquiry into the Edinburgh tram project, called for a new parliamentary body to be set up to monitor the way the Scottish Government responds to the findings of inquiries it sets up. He said there is now a perception that the reports produced 'sit on ministers' shelves gathering dust', leading to concerns about 'wasted public money'. It comes after it emerged that the total cost of all Scottish public inquiries since 2007 has ballooned to £230million. In a further new development, it was also revealed yesterday that the cost of the Sheku Bayoh inquiry soared by £1million in just three months. In a written submission to Holyrood's finance committee, which is carrying out an inquiry into the cost-effectiveness of public inquiries, Lord Hardie highlighted that there have previously been calls for a joint parliamentary committee 'to monitor government responses to inquiry recommendations and hold the government to account for implementing accepted recommendations'. He said: 'The committee may wish to consider a similar approach to allay perceptions that reports of public inquiries sit on ministers' shelves gathering dust and result in concerns that the expenditure incurred on the relevant public inquiry was wasted public money.' Lord Hardie, a retired judge, headed up the Edinburgh tram inquiry, which was set up in June 2014 and finally produced its report in September 2023. In his new written evidence to the finance committee, he highlighted that the then First Minister Alex Salmond said the inquiry would be 'swift and thorough' and said this 'merely raised expectations of the public about the early conclusion of the inquiry' without the public realising that the statement had been made 'without any knowledge of what would be involved in undertaking an independent, transparent and thorough inquiry into the scandal of the Edinburgh Tram Project'. He said there had been 'no discussion' prior to his appointment about timescales or agreed budgets, and criticised issues including 'inadequate IT' at the inquiry's office, which was paid for by the Scottish Government. Lord Hardie said: 'The effect on staff morale was significant and there was a considerable waste of time and money during that time.' He said 'little or no guidance' was provided to assist with the early stages of the inquiry, and added: 'The process of setting up the inquiry with accommodation, staff and other resources gave the impression of our reinventing the wheel.' Since 2007, five public inquiries have been completed - the ICL Stockline disaster, fingerprinting, contaminated blood, Edinburgh's trams and the healthcare acquired infections - at a cost of £42.6million. Five more are currently ongoing - on child abuse, hospitals, Sheku Bayoh, Covid-19 and Eljamel. In a letter to the finance committee, Lord Bracadale, chairman of the Sheku Bayoh inquiry, confirmed that total costs have increased to £24.8 million at the end of March 2025, which was £1 million higher than £23.8 million in December 2024. It included staff costs of £13.3 million, £6.8 million of administration and accommodation costs, and £4.7 million on legal fees and expenses for core participants. A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'We welcome the committee's interest and look forward to hearing their views. 'Public inquiries are set up when no other avenue is deemed sufficient given the issues of public concern. In many cases, such as the Scottish Covid Inquiry, they are set up with the support of, or in response to calls from, the Scottish Parliament. 'Public inquiries operate independently of government and the Chair has a statutory duty to avoid unnecessary costs.'
Scotsman
21-05-2025
- Scotsman
Sheku Bayoh inquiry: Senior counsel linked to Post Office case appointed as Lord Bracadale comes under fire
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The long-running public inquiry into the events surrounding the death of father-of-two Sheku Bayoh in police custody has appointed an additional senior counsel to its legal team. The inquiry scrutinising the death of the 31-year-old, who died in May 2015 after being restrained on the ground by six police officers in Kirkcaldy, Fife, has appointed Jason Beer KC, who joins senior counsel, Angela Grahame KC, and senior counsel, Laura Thomson KC. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Beer, the head of 5 Essex Chambers, specialises in public inquiries, inquests, public law and police law. He has served a key role in several high-profile cases, including the Post Office Horizon inquiry, the Thirwall inquiry, and those into the Grenfell disaster and the death of Dawn Sturgess. Lawyers involved in the Sheku Bayoh inquiry have been reprimanded for inappropriate use of mobile phones in the hearing room. | PA The next hearing dates It comes as the inquiry announced its next hearing dates will take place on June 12 and 13. The hearing will focus on the fairness of the conduct and procedure adopted by the inquiry's chair, Lord Bracadale, in meeting the families of Mr Bayoh. The Scottish Police Federation (SPF) has questioned the former High Court judge's impartiality, and last month intimated a petition for a judicial review of the inquiry after announcing it had 'lost confidence' in the proceedings. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is understood that Lord Bracadale, who has helmed the inquiry since 2020, will consider whether he should step down from the role in the aftermath of the hearing. Should he do so, it would result in significant delays to the inquiry's work. Jason Beer KC has been appointed to the inquiry team. Picture: PA | PA The Sheku Bayoh inquiry's costs Since the statutory inquiry began in November 2020, it has cost more than £23.7 million. The inquiry has completed the process of gathering evidence and was due to hear closing submissions. After the concerns surrounding Lord Bracadale were first raised, Sadif Ashraf, the solicitor to the inquiry, wrote to all parties in March, pointing out the engagement of families was 'crucial to the effectiveness' of the inquiry. He stressed that if the inquiry failed to obtain and retain the confidence of the families, its effectiveness would be prejudiced. Lord Bracadale's conduct Mr Ashraf said since the start of the inquiry's work, Lord Bracadale had publicly expressed his intention to keep the families 'at the heart' of the inquiry, and considered it 'reasonable and appropriate" to meet members of the Bayoh families "from time to time" to reassure them, maintain their confidence in its work, and encourage them to participate fully in it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Lord Bracadale has chaired the inquiry since it began its work in November 2020. Picture: PA | PA The first meeting took place in November 2021, followed by further meetings in April and November 2022, and January and December last year. Mr Ashraf's letter noted the purpose of the meetings was "to address issues relating to the welfare of family members as the inquiry progressed', and the impact on them of the inquiry. "The chair made it clear that anything of an evidential nature would require to be examined in evidence in the inquiry," Mr Ashraf said.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- BBC News
Senior police officer suspended after disturbance arrest
A senior police officer has been suspended from his job after being arrested in connection with a disturbance in North Supt Pat Campbell was charged following an incident at a property in Airdrie in the early hours of Sunday 20 was released on an undertaking to appear at the town's sheriff court at a later senior detective formerly headed the force's organised crime and counter terrorism unit and led the investigation into the death of Sheku Bayoh in 2015. A Police Scotland spokesperson said officers were called to a report of a disturbance at about 01:35 on 20 April. A report has been prepared for prosecutors and is currently under consideration.
