First minister to meet with Sheku Bayoh family

The first minister is set to meet the family of Sheku Bayoh after the judge leading the inquiry into his death stood down.

Mr Bayoh was 31 when he died after being restrained by police officers in Kirkcaldy, Fife, in 2015.

A public inquiry was set up to examine what happened before, during and after the death of the father-of-two and whether race was a factor.

Lord Bracadale resigned as chairperson of the inquiry last month after the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) repeatedly questioned his impartiality.

John Swinney previously said he had agreed to meet with Mr Bayoh’s family, who said they felt “totally betrayed” by the criminal justice system following the decision.

The family’s lawyer, Aamer Anwar, said the meeting would take place at Holyrood on Thursday.

“The family believe that as the public inquiry got closer to the truth, the more determined our criminal justice system became to sabotage an Inquiry coming to an end,” he said.

He added: “The Bayoh family expect the first minister to back their search for the truth, and nothing less will suffice.”

The Sheku Bayoh Inquiry, which began in November 2020, has so far cost £26.2m, with an additional £24.3m spent by Police Scotland, including £17.3m of legal costs.

Mr Bayoh was restrained by six police officers after he was allegedly spotted carrying a knife and behaving erratically on a street in Kirkcaldy.

He was not carrying the knife when officers arrived at the scene.

Mr Bayoh lost consciousness during the struggle that ensued and later died in hospital.

Police officers involved in the altercation have also requested a meeting with the first minister.

In a letter to John Swinney, seen by BBC Scotland News, lawyers for the SPF said the circumstances around Lord Bracadale’s resignation had caused “considerable concern”.

They wrote: “We note that you have agreed to meet with the family of Mr Bayoh.

“However, it is of deep concern to our clients that no similar invitation has been extended to the police officers who responded to multiple 999 calls reporting a man walking the streets of Kirkcaldy brandishing a nine-inch bladed weapon, attacking vehicles, and posing a serious threat to public safety.

A Scottish government spokesperson said they were “committed to establishing the relevant facts surrounding Mr Bayoh’s death”, and that they were “urgently considering the situation going forward.”

They added that they would respond to the SPF letter “in due course”.