Prison operator Sodexo and Lothian Health Board admit criminal charges after death of inmate with COVID

A prison operator and an NHS health board have admitted criminal charges after the death of an imprisoned man who contracted COVID-19.

Calum Inglis, 34, was serving a short sentence in HMP Addiewell - run by Sodexo Limited on behalf of the Scottish Prison Service - when he tested positive for the disease on 12 October 2021.

He was asthmatic and unvaccinated against COVID-19. He was found dead in his cell at the West Lothian prison 12 days later, after his health deteriorated.

According to the Scottish Prison Service, medical care at the site is provided by the Lothian Health Board, part of the NHS.

It's alleged that in the last four days of Inglis's life, he repeatedly requested medical attention by using his cell intercom, and was promised by the prison officers that someone would see him in the morning, but it did not happen.

On Friday, Sodexo and Lothian Health Board admitted to criminal charges of failing to ensure they had adhered to their duties under health and safety legislation.

Inglis's family, through their solicitor Aamer Anwar, said their loved one was treated "worse than an animal".

Speaking after the hearing, Mr Anwar said: "Left caged, terrified and alone, repeatedly pressing at [an] intercom, screaming for help, coughing up blood.

"He was left to die alone and without dignity for 12 days, without any support from prison officers or healthcare staff from Lothian Health Board."

His mother Jennifer Inglis, a former nurse, said: "Knowing how my boy must have suffered in his cell for 12 days, it is something that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

"He was not just a prisoner. He was my son, a brother, an uncle, and a nephew. He was loved, he mattered."

The case - believed to be the first prosecution of its kind in Scotland, after the Crown Office investigated around 6,000 deaths related to coronavirus - was heard at Edinburgh Sheriff Court before Sheriff Julius Komorowski.

A Sodexo spokesperson said: "We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of Calum Inglis following his death at HMP Addiewell in October 2021.

"However, as the legal proceedings have not yet concluded, it would be inappropriate for us to comment any further at this time."

More from Sky News:
'No guilt at all mate': The fly-tippers making £2k a day
Markets plummet worldwide as US midterms add to AI fears

From March 2020 to February 2023, 215 prisoners died in English and Welsh prisons having tested positive for COVID-19 or where the disease was a contributing factor, according to HM Prison and Probation Service statistics.

According to the Scottish Government, there were a total of 17 deaths in prison custody in Scotland that involved coronavirus.

(c) Sky News 2026: Prison operator Sodexo and Lothian Health Board admit criminal charges after death of