Park Inn stabbing victim loses inquiry legal bid

Asylum seekers had been moved into the Park Inn in response to the coronavirus pandemic

An asylum seeker who was stabbed at a Glasgow hotel by a man who was shot dead by police has lost his bid for an an independent inquiry.

The man took the legal action against the Home Office after he was among six people knifed by a Sudanese asylum seeker at the Park Inn on 26 June 2020.

Badreddin Abdalla Adam, 28, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The High Court in London found that there had been an adequate criminal investigation into the offences.

Badreddin Abdalla Adam was shot by police after carrying out multiple stabbings

Mr Justice Johnson also noted the appropriate mechanism of investigation for such a case in Scotland is a fatal accident inquiry, which was being undertaken.

He concluded: "There is no legal obligation on the part of the defendant to initiate a public inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 or any other form of investigation. The claim is therefore dismissed."

The man who brought the claim - known as MG - said the court's decision was "very hard".

"I was seeking answers, not just for me but for everyone else who was affected. That was all I wanted," he said.

"I feel as if I am being told that what I went through in 2020, and am still going through, doesn't matter," he added.

Refugees for Justice said the ruling was disappointing and it was consulting its lawyers on its options.

Spokeswoman Pinar Aksu said: "It is not just MG and the others directly affected by the events of that day who are still seeking accountability and justice, but the city of Glasgow as a whole which was traumatised by those shocking events.

"Two years on, we are no closer to understanding if this tragedy could have been prevented."

Mental health struggles

Last month a separate inquiry was announced into the treatment of asylum seekers in Scotland during the Covid lockdown in 2020.

Refugees for Justice announced Baroness Helena Kennedy QC would lead the review.

• Independent inquiry into Scottish lockdown asylum seeker treatment

The refugee group has been asking the Home Office for a public inquiry since the Park Inn incident.

The Home Office said it had made "significant changes to keep asylum seekers safe" since the attack.

As it is a private inquiry Baroness Kennedy will not be able to compel witnesses to attend or force disclosure of evidence.

Adam was shot dead by police after he stabbed six people in the Park Inn hotel, including three other asylum seekers, a police officer and two members of hotel staff.

It later emerged he had been struggling with his mental health during lockdown at the hotel and had called the Home Office and other organisations more than 70 times before the attack.