A high-risk child abuser from Fife died in prison after a series of strokes and contracting pneumonia.
Alexander Salmond, 59, from Rosyth, passed away in his cell in Glenochil Prison.
He was serving a life term for historic child abuse, imposed in 2003.
Although he could have been freed on licence after seven-and-a-half years, he was deemed as high-risk of further re-offending until his death and was never eligible for release.
After suffering various and increasing health issues, he died on October 26 2022.
As with all deaths in custody, a fatal accident inquiry was held but a sheriff has ruled nothing could have been done to avoid his death.
‘Serious danger to young girls’
The High Court in Edinburgh had heard how Salmond began preying on children when he was just 13 and raped an 11-year-old girl on Christmas Day, when he was in his 30s.
He initially denied his crimes but pled guilty after days of trial evidence.
He carried out offences in High Valleyfield and Rosyth, as well as Bo’ness and Bannockburn, beginning in 1976.
Judge Roderick Macdonald QC told him that he was “a serious danger to young girls.”
While in prison, Salmond was diagnosed with complex personality disorder – originally thought to be schizophrenia – and had Type 2 diabetes and other issues.
He was first treated for a stroke in January 2021 and his health deteriorated steadily to the extent he needed two-hourly care checks and a Do Not Resuscitate order was put in place.
On October 23 2022, medical staff were asked to his cell by carers due to a high temperature and hours later, he passed away without CPR being attempted.
High-risk to end of life
The inquiry heard, as his health worsened, Salmond expressed a desire to be released from prison on compassionate grounds.
Sheriff Mark O’Hanlon had investigated whether this could have been granted.
However, in a judgment released this week, he wrote: “The Parole Board was
satisfied that it was necessary for the protection of the public that Mr Salmond should be confined.
“The Board acknowledged that Mr Salmond was end-of-life care but noted that
he did not at that point meet the criteria for compassionate release.”
In a meeting of March 2022, it was reported there would be “nowhere in the community able or willing to accept Mr Salmond even if he were to be considered for compassionate release.”
The sheriff noted Salmond was of high risk of reconviction for sexual and violent offending and the prison social work team “further stated that there had been no significant changes to Mr Salmond’s circumstances that were relevant to or that would have impacted on his risk assessment outcome if he were to be considered for compassionate release.”
Sheriff Mark O’ Hanlon wrote: “There were, on the available evidence, no precautions which (i) could reasonably have been taken, and (ii) had they been taken, might realistically have resulted in the death being avoided.
“There were, on the available evidence, no defects in any system of working which contributed to the death.
“There are, on the available evidence, no recommendations to be made.”
