An inquiry into the death of an Edinburgh prisoner who died while in custody has began.
Robert Chalmers, who was 69-years-old when he died, was a prisoner at HMP Edinburgh and was transferred to the Western General Hospital. He passed away on April 4, 2022.
The Crown Office an Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) have started the court process into a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI), with a preliminary hearing set to be held on July 26. The inquiry is currently scheduled for September 20 and 21.
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It's purpose is to determine the cause of death, the circumstances, whether any reasonable precautions could have been taken, what can be implemented in the future, and ways of minimising risk of future deaths.
It's thought that the focus of the FAI will be on the medical care Chalmers received within both HMP Edinburgh and the Western General Hospital.
Procurator Fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads on fatalities investigations for COPFS, said: "The Lord Advocate considers that the death of Robert Chalmers occurred while in legal custody and as such a Fatal Accident Inquiry is mandatory.
"The lodging of the First Notice enables FAI proceedings to commence under the direction of the Sheriff."
Chalmers was on trial in 2011 for the murder of Samantha Wright, where it was revealed he had put her body in a wheelie bin and used air fresheners and fly spray to hide the smell. Having already served one sentence for murder, he was jailed for a minimum of 23 years.
