Former police officer withdraws from Sheku Bayoh inquiry

A former police officer who was involved in restraining Sheku Bayoh is withdrawing from the public inquiry into his death.

Alan Paton was one of the first officers at the scene after the 31-year-old was spotted carrying a knife in Kirkcaldy 10 years ago.

Mr Bayoh was unarmed by the time they arrived but a violent confrontation followed and he later died in hospital.

Mr Paton is the first core participant to end their involvement in the inquiry following the resignation of its chairman, Lord Bracadale.

The former judge was accused of apparent bias after it emerged he had held a series of private meetings with Mr Bayoh’s family.

Core participants at public inquiries have the right to access information, ask questions, make submissions and see the inquiry’s final report before publication.

In this case, the participants include Mr Bayoh’s family, 11 serving and former officers, Police Scotland, the Crown Office, the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc) and the Commission for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER).

Mr Paton retired from Police Scotland on medical grounds after Mr Bayoh’s death and has been suffering from mental ill-health.

He was one of the first on the scene after members of the public reported that a man was behaving erratically in the Fife town on 3 May 2015.

Alan Paton and another constable arrived in a police van and ordered Mr Bayoh to get down on the ground.

When Mr Bayoh failed to comply, the officers discharged CS and Pava sprays which blew back into their own faces.

In a statement to the inquiry, Mr Paton said there was an increased terrorist risk at the time and it had run through his mind that Mr Bayoh could have been part of a terrorist plot.

He said he had thought of the soldier Lee Rigby, who was killed in a terrorist attack in London, and was convinced that he was going to be stabbed.

Mr Paton helped restrain Mr Bayoh after he was wrestled to the ground by another officer.

The father-of-two lost consciousness and was later pronounced dead in the town’s Royal Victoria Hospital.

When he gave evidence in a session of the inquiry held behind closed doors, Mr Paton denied allegations made by members of his own family that he had wanted to join the far-right British National Party (BNP) when he was a teenager.

Inquiry chairman Lord Bracadale resigned on 21 October after the SPF questioned his impartiality.

He had been criticised for meeting members of Mr Bayoh’s family.

He initially refused to step down but decided to go after the federation chose to take the case to court for a judicial review.

Lord Bracadale said it had become clear that he had lost the confidence of a majority of the core participants.

The Scottish government is trying to find someone to replace him, five years after the inquiry began.

Last week, the female police constable who was present on the day Sheku Bayoh died said the events of that day had turned her world “upside down”.

Nicole Short said: “I describe it as the old Nicole and the new Nicole. It’s like my life was reset that day and I’ve spent every day since trying to rebuild it”.

The SPF also attacked First Minister John Swinney for agreeing to meet Mr Bayoh’s family.

The family has spoken of feeling “totally betrayed” by the criminal justice system after the resignation of Lord Bracadale.