Sheriff calls for police stations to be equipped with defibrillators following McGurty FAI

The recommendations came following a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the death of Kevin McGurty, 43, who died at Annan Police Station in Dumfries and Galloway in 2013.

Sheriff George Jamieson called on Police Scotland and the NHS to install defibrillators at all custody stations but noted that in this particular case there were “no reasonable precautions” that could have prevented the death of Mr McGurty

He also called for staff training to be reviewed after the FAI found two officers did not attempt CPR. They had panicked when “faced with a real life emergency”, he said, suggesting “inadequate training”.

Mr McGurty had handed himself in after he went on the run following reports of a domestic disturbance. Within minutes of arriving at the station he “suddenly fell backwards to the ground”. Officers put him in the recovery position and called an ambulance.

Sheriff Jamieson said: “The police officers had failed to apply CPR when the circumstances suggested that Mr not acted McGurty was not breathing normally … My impression is PC McKinnell, who was petrified was unable to think clearly and apply his training. PC Rice, a newly qualified officer, deferred to his decisions. They both wanted the medics to arrive and deal with the problem.

“Unfortunately for Mr McGurty time was of the essence and CPR should have been applied immediately to increase his chances of survival.”

Despite the officers’ mistakes, both had been “very caring and attentive” to Mr McGurty.

The sheriff said: “They had to make a judgment in difficult circumstances, for which even the best training might not have equipped them psychologically. The court’s duty however is to look back with the benefit of hindsight and conclude, as it has done, that the officers should have applied CPR.

“This is unlikely to have saved Mr McGurty’s life, but, police must do more to impress upon its officers the need to act with alacrity when similar circumstances arise.”