(Image: General image of prison, Newsquest)
A Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) is to be held into the death of a murderer and rapist who died in prison.
George Metcalff, who was serving a sentence at HMP Barlinnie, died at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital on the evening of August 30, 2024.
The 74-year-old was jailed for 22 years in 2021 after he was found guilty of killing Patricia Henry, 46, at her flat in Girvan, South Ayrshire, in November 2017.
Ms Hendry's body has never been found.
Metcalff carried out a catalogue of crimes against women over almost half a century before murdering Ms Henry.
He was convicted of assaulting her "by means to the prosecutor unknown" and causing her injury from which she died.
Barlinnie is Scotland's largest prison (Image: Friel Kean/BBC Scotland/Gavin Hopkins)
He was also found guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by hiding and disposing of Ms Henry's body and her personal effects.
Metcalff had previously assaulted and raped Ms Henry at an address in Paisley, Renfrewshire, and carried out attacks and rapes on two other women between 1971 and 2004.
As Metcalff was in legal custody at the time of his death, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) is required to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death. Under Scots law, a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) is mandatory in such cases.
Read More:
- State-involved deaths increase to five per week in Scotland, report finds
- Probe launched into NHS 24 care after woman's Covid death at home
- Probe to be held into farm worker’s death at Graham's The Family Dairy
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for December 1, 2026, at Dumbarton Sheriff Court.
The purpose of an FAI is to establish the facts surrounding a death, including its cause and the circumstances in which it occurred.
The inquiry may also consider whether any reasonable steps could have been taken to reduce the risk of similar deaths happening in future.
Unlike criminal proceedings, Fatal Accident Inquiries do not seek to apportion blame. Instead, they are inquisitorial hearings designed to establish the facts and identify any lessons that may be learned.
Andy Shanks, of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: "The Lord Advocate considers that the death of George Metcalff occurred whilst he was in legal custody and as such a Fatal Accident Inquiry is mandatory."