Prisoner compassionate release cases
- Last updated
- 9 December 2022 - see all updates
- Part of
- Law and order
Cases granted and refused, since 2016.
Scottish Ministers have the power to release prisoners on licence on compassionate grounds. Reasons can include:
- terminal illness
- severe incapacitation
- where continued imprisonment would endanger a prisoner or shorter their life expectancy
This information was last updated in May 2021.
Date released and date died | Name and DOB | Nationality | Case type | Case offence and date of conviction | Grounds for release | Circumstances and life expectancy | Decision | Prison serving sentence | Responsible Minister |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Released 28/07/2016 Died 28/07/2016 |
Thomas Riley | British | Determinate | Sexual/violent offences x 11 | Terminal illness | Cerebrovascular disease | Granted | HMP Edinburgh | Paul Wheelhouse |
Released 16/08/2016 | Witheld | British | Determinate | Assault and robbery | Terminal illness | Brain tumour | Granted | HMP Shotts | Michael Matheson |
Released 25/10/2016 Died 28/11/2016 |
John McNeil | British | Extended sentence | Lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour | Terminal illness | Rectal, stomach and lung cancer | Granted | HMP Barlinnie | Michael Matheson |
Released 18/11/2016 Died 07/01/2018 |
Nikki Hunter | British | Determinate | Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 S4(3)B | Terminal illness | Adrenal gland cancer | Granted | HMP Shotts | Michael Matheson |
Released 15/06/2017 Died August 2017 |
John McFadden | British | Extended sentence | Culpable homicide | Terminal illness | Lung cancer | Granted | HMP Low Moss | Michael Matheson |
Released 01/05/2018 Died 09/05/2019 |
Robert Henderson | British | Life | Murder, theft, fraud, attempt to defeat the ends of justice x 2 | Terminal illness | Brain tumour | Granted | HMP Low Moss | Humza Yousaf |
Released 05/06/2018 Died 12/06/2018 |
Henry McDonald | British | Determinate | Theft by housebreaking | Terminal illness | Liver cancer | Granted | HMP Low Moss | Michael Matheson |
Released 19/06/2019 Died 02/12/2019 |
Walenty Kubica |
British |
Determinate |
Misuse of Drugs Firearms x5 |
Terminal illness |
Lung cancer |
Granted |
HMP Low Moss |
Humza Yousaf |
Released 19/07/2019 |
Francis Cassidy | British | Extended sentence | Lewd, Indecent & Libidinous Practices & Behaviour: Criminal Law (Consolidation)(Scotland) Act 1995 S6, Indecent Assault x 2 | Terminal illness | Lung cancer | Granted | HMP Addiwell | Humza Yousaf |
Released 19/08/2019 |
Donna Morrell | British | Determinate | Wilful Fire Raising x 3 | Terminal illness | Colon cancer | Granted | HMP Polmont | Humza Yousaf |
Released 18/12/2019 Died 11/01/2020 |
John McFadden |
British |
Determinate |
Misuse of Drugs x 2 |
Terminal illness |
Brain cancer |
Granted |
HMP Low Moss |
Humza Yousaf |
Released 24/07/2020 Died 30/07/2020 |
Craig Watson | British | Determinate | Misuse of Drugs x 2 | Terminal illness | Multi-organ failure | Granted | HMP Barlinnie | Humza Yousaf |
Released 14/09/2020 | Anonymous | British | Determinate | Misuse of Drugs x 1 , Contravention of Prisons (Scotland) Act x 2, Culpable and Reckless Conduct x 1 | Terminal illness | Lung cancer | Granted | HMP Edinburgh | Humza Yousaf |
Released 12/01/2020 Died 14/01/2020 |
John Millar | British | STSO | Civic Government Scotland Act 1982 S52A (1) (Sexual) x S52 (1)(a) | Terminal illness | Lung cancer | Granted | HMP Barlinnie | Humza Yousaf |
Released 26/04/2021 | Withheld | British | Life | Murder | Terminal illness | Lung cancer | Granted | HMP Shotts | Humza Yousaf |
Released 26/04/2021 Died 10/08/2021 |
Joseph Hamilton |
British |
Life |
Murder |
Terminal illness |
Lung cancer |
Granted |
HMP Shotts |
Humza Yousaf |
Released 29/04/2022 Died 31/05/2022 |
Andrew Whiteford | British | Order of Lifelong Restriction (OLR) | Assault and robbery | Terminal illness | Throat cancer | Granted | HMP Kilmarnock | Keith Brown |
Released 16/08/2022 Died 28/09/2022 |
Sandra Weir |
British |
Life |
Murder |
Terminal illness |
Advanced adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus with nodal, omental and lung metastasis (Cancer) |
Granted |
HMP Edinburgh |
Keith Brown |
Pre-2016 compassionate case information can be found at the gov.scot archive
- First published
- 8 June 2018
- Last updated
- 9 December 2022 - show all updates
- All updates
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Added date of death for Sandra Weir.
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Replaced 'Withheld' with 'Sandra Weir' on entry dated 16 Aug 2022
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Added new case.
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Added new case.
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