Mother 'devastated' as 10-year inquiry delayed again

An inquiry into the death of Warren Fenty has been delayed again after 10 years

A woman who has waited nearly 10 years for the findings of a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into her son’s death has told the BBC she feels “let down and devastated” after it emerged there will be a further delay to its publication.

Warren Fenty, 20, from Aberdeen, died from a drugs overdose while in police custody in 2014.

Sheriff Morag McLaughlin’s findings were due to be published this month, following a number of previous delays.

But the Scottish Courts Service has confirmed that due to “personal health reasons” Sheriff McLaughlin can no longer produce the determination, and it will now be taken over by the Sheriff Principal of Grampian, Derek Pyle.

The fatal accident inquiry into the circumstances around Mr Fenty's death is the longest running in Scotland lasting over ten years.

Warren’s mother, Sharon Fenty, told BBC Scotland News: “I just feel empty, let down and devastated. I can’t get my head around it.

“I need answers, I’ve been waiting for answers for nearly ten years.

“Does this mean that the whole thing will have to start again? I have so many questions. It feels like delay after delay.

“There have been a lot of mistakes made. For the first couple of years or so it was just passed to the side. Then there was Covid. But I think it’s terrible that anyone has had to wait so long.”

She added urgent changes were needed around the timings of FAIs to prevent other families going through the same experience.

Ms Fenty said urgent changes were needed to fatal accident inquiry's to avoid other families waiting so long for answers.

Mr Fenty died at Aberdeen’s Kittybrewster police station in June 2014.

He had been arrested after discharging himself from Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, against medical advice, and was being held in Kittybrewster’s custody suite.

The inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his death is currently the longest ongoing FAI in Scotland.

Warren Fenty died in 2014 while in police custody at Kittybrewster police station in Aberdeen

A Judicial Office spokesperson said: “Sheriff principal Pyle, the sheriff principal of Grampian, Highland and Islands, has been monitoring progress of the preparation of Sheriff McLaughlin’s determination in this inquiry over an extended period.

“The sheriff principal will now take personal control of the inquiry and has offered to meet the family of Warren Fenty, if they so wish, to discuss the delay and its consequences.”

The statement added: “The sheriff principal recognises that this is a very unsatisfactory situation and this step has been taken with great reluctance, recognising the harm which the delay to date has already done but also what yet more uncertainty will do to the interests of all parties to the inquiry, not least the family of the deceased.

“He will fix a hearing as a matter of urgency for the participants to be given the opportunity to discuss the best way forward. Whatever is decided, the inquiry will be under his sole control, including the preparation of the final determination.”

A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: “The procurator fiscal will continue to support and provide assistance to the fatal accident inquiry as required.

“We will continue to keep the Fenty family updated on any significant developments in relation to the inquiry.”

Ms Fenty said she hoped to meet with Sheriff Pyle within the next two weeks.

“I’ve sat for nearly ten years waiting and waiting to find out what happened to my son. That is a hole that will never fill,” she said.

“I don’t want another mother waiting ten years to find out why their child is not here anymore. “