The death of a newlywed murderer at a Lanarkshire prison is to be probed by a court.
Rene Howeison and his wife, Kathleen Downey, stabbed neighbour Colin Skilbeck, 41, to death and threw boiling water and sugar over him in March 2017. The killers were jailed for over 20 years in January 2018.
Howieson died at HMP Shotts in May 2020 aged 39 - his passing was not believed to be linked to Covid-19. Over two years on, a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) has been launched into his death.
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A preliminary hearing has been set for August 18 at Hamilton Sheriff Court.
Howieson and Downey got married weeks before killing Colin Skilbeck at the door to the flat at Gibson Terrace, Edinburgh, that he shared with Downey's sister's ex partner. The relationship ended, and the pair "did not part on good terms", the Daily Record reports.
The court heard at the time that Downey was shown a threatening note written by her sister's ex. Mr Skilbeck's flatmate Jason Hamilton had warned him not to answer the door to the pair - and when he did, he was attacked and killed.
In March 2017, at the High Court in Edinburgh, Howieson pled guilty to murdering Mr Skilbeck by throwing the solution in his face and repeatedly striking him with a knife. Downey later pled guilty to culpable homicide on the basis of diminished responsibility.
She admitted killing Mr Skilbeck by throwing the water and sugar at him and striking him with the knife.
In January 2018, at the High Court in Glasgow, Lord Armstrong jailed Howieson for life with a minimum of 14 years and two months behind bars. He sentenced Downey - who has been diagnosed with an emotionally unstable personality disorder and post traumatic stress disorder - to five years and three months.
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