Katie Allan's parents reveal sign they noticed before daughter took own life
The mother of a 21-year-old who took her own life while in prison told an inquiry that her daughter seemed "petrified" of other prisoners the day before her body was found.
Linda Allan, 56, told Falkirk Sheriff Court her daughter Katie Allan also looked "exhausted" after reporting being kept awake at night by other prisoners shouting abuse at her from neighbouring cells. It comes as Mrs Allan was giving evidence on the second day of a fatal accident inquiry, which was examining the circumstances of her daughter’s death and the death of 16-year-old William Lindsay at Polmont young offenders institution in 2018.
A student at Glasgow University, Ms Allan was found dead in her cell on June 4 of that year as she was serving a 16-month sentence for drink-driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. On October 7, 2018, Mr Lindsay was found dead in his cell, just three days after being admitted due to no space in a children’s secure unit.
He was remanded at Polmont despite having a history of making attempts on his life, and was previously in care on multiple occasions. The mother also told the inquiry she and her son Scott visited her daughter at Polmont on June 3, during which Katie broke down in tears as she recounted her days in prison.
She said there had been a fight in the area where her daughter was being held, and that other prisoners had been shouting derogatory comments at Ms Allan from their cells since then.
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Mrs Allan said: "She was petrified and exhausted as she hadn’t slept. She told me she had asked to be moved to another cell. She didn’t feel safe. She was terrified of the unpredictability of the environment she was in."
On Monday, the inquiry heard Ms Allan was found to have traces of an antidepressant which was not prescribed to her, during a post-mortem examination. (PA)
A student at Glasgow University, Ms Allen was found dead in her cell on June 4 as she was serving a 16-month sentence for drink-driving (Daily Record)The mother also recalled how her daughter also appeared to be “frightened” of certain prison officers who were supervising her. She further told the inquiry: "She spoke highly of a number of prison officers but she was clearly frightened of other prison officers."
On Monday, the inquiry heard Ms Allan was found to have traces of an antidepressant which was not prescribed to her, during a post-mortem examination. She also suffered from alopecia, and had a history of self-harming which prison staff were aware of. She was last seen alive by a prison officer as she watched TV, and said “Hi”, just after 8pm, before taking her own life. She was found by a prison officer just before 6am on June 4. While in custody over a period of four months, Katie Allan lost seven kilos.
In April 2018, her solicitor had urged the Scottish Prison Service to get her medical treatment for alopecia and eczema. The FAI is examining the circumstances of both deaths.
There is a particular focus on the SPS’s Talk To Me strategy in relation to the prevention of suicide in jails, and is expected to last three weeks. It will seek to establish what, if any, precautions could have been taken, or could be implemented to minimise the risk of future deaths in similar circumstances.
The Samaritans is available 24/7 if you need to talk. You can contact them for free by calling 116 123, email [email protected] or head to the website to find your nearest branch. You matter.
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