A notorious killer who spent more than 30 years behind bars for the brutal and sexually-driven murder of an Angus woman died from a time-bomb heart attack in jail.
Fatal accident inquiry findings into the death of Kenneth William Dutch at Greenock Prison in February last year have revealed the 51-year-old was the victim of a coronary artery atheroma, which nothing could have been done to save him from.
Dutch was only 16 when he killed 48-year-old Christina Petrie following a New Year’s Day party in Montrose.
Her naked body was found in the cellar area of 8 Glenlethnot Place, where she was staying with her father.
Dutch had kicked his victim on the head and body so violently that she was unrecognisable to a relative who was taken to see the body and sentencing judge Lord Robertson described his crime as “particularly horrifying”.
After a jury took just 45 minutes to convict the teenager of murder at his trial in May 1979, Dutch was jailed for life.
The Parole Board considered, and refused, his case at least 13 times before his death.
Dutch raised a judicial review at the Court of Session in Edinburgh against both the Parole Board for Scotland and Scottish ministers in 2013, claiming the parole board’s decision not to sanction his release was a breach of his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.
As well as seeking an order for his release from prison, he also sought £10,000 in damage, but his case was thrown out due to the brutal and sexual nature of his crime. The court was also told that Dutch had behaved inappropriately towards women while on work placements.
In accordance with protocols involving the death of prisoners in custody, a Fatal Accident Inquiry was heard by Sheriff Thomas Ward at Greenock.
The inquiry heard that during his time in prison, Dutch had undergone various health checks and been referred to cardiologists because of a family history of heart disease.
He saw a doctor just a week before his death and was told he was at high risk of a heart attack because of his age, high cholesterol level and the fact that he was still a smoker.
He was placed on a regime of statins and a smoking cessation therapy scheme.
Dutch then took unwell while talking to a prison officer at 7.30pm on February 11 2014, complained of feeling dizzy and then had a seizure and collapsed.
Medical assistance was immediately summoned, but despite attention from prison nurses and paramedics, Dutch could not be revived, the FAI findings stated.
They added: “A post-mortem examination concluded that the deceased could have died suddenly from a cardiac arrhythmia at any time, which would account for his symptoms and his death.
“There was no evidence of any other significant natural disease. There were no significant injuries. Death was due to natural causes.”