Katie 'not built for prison': Court hears from staff during third day of Polmont YOI fatal accident inquiry

Both were found dead in their cells.

At the start of the week Falkirk Sheriff Court heard Katie, from Clarkston, Glasgow, was jailed for 16 months on March 5, 2018 for dangerous driving while over the drink limit.

She was initially taken to Cornton Vale Prison, Stirling and transferred two days later to Polmont YOI.

Just the afternoon before she was found dead, she was visited by her mother and brother.

She was last seen alive by prison staff at about 8.10pm that day, June 3, 2018, watching television in her cell.

On Tuesday, Katie’s mother Linda Allan, 56, said her daughter, who suffered from alopecia, had not slept for three days running up to her death because of

taunts and threats from other prisoners.

She said Katie had been "like a rabbit caught in the headlights" and was "devastated", "deeply ashamed" and "deeply remorseful" about the choices she made on the night of the driving incident.

Mrs Allan said: "She didn't feel safe. She was terrified of the unpredictability of the environment she was in. She said she hadn't slept for three nights because of the berating, things that were being shouted at her, and threats from prisoners in the cells beside her."

She added Katie had asked to be moved to a different cell in the hall which would have been quieter, but that was refused.

The inquiry heard Katie had written a letter to her mother when she got back to her cell after that final visit, but it was never sent.

It read in part, "Please believe me that I'll be OK. I just hate this place and a few of the people in it really aren't making it any easier. I don't see why people need to be

so cruel."

On Wednesday it was stated Katie was "a well-liked popular prisoner".

A personal officer who dealt with Katie during her time at the YOI said: "She was lovely. To be honest she was different, and not built for prison. A lot of the young

women have a background with the secure care system.

"They’re already used to the kind of system that's in prison. Katie wasn't. She was more mature and more grounded than the other girls."

On Monday the inquiry heard William was sent to Polmont while still legally a child, just four months after the tragic death of Katie.

He had a history of making suicidal statements.

William was was found dead in Polmont YOI on October 7, 2018, less than four days after being remanded in custody on charges of having a knife, police assault and breach of the peace.

The inquiry heard was sent to prison despite being still only 16 after repeated attempts failed to find him a bed in a secure children's unit outwith the prison system failed.

The inquiry, before Sheriff Simon Collins KC, into the deaths of Katie and William is expected to last three weeks.