FAI DETERMINATION SUMMARIES
Fatal Accident Inquiries (FAIs) are held following a death in the workplace or in cases which give rise to reasonable suspicion. They are usually held in the sheriff court, but may be held in other premises when appropriate. Summaries provide the main findings in order to assist understanding and may be published in cases where there is wider public interest. They do not form part of the reasons for the findings.
The full Determination published on the Scottish Courts and Tribunals website is the only authoritative document.
Read more about FAIs.
See the legislation.
Once a Determination is delivered, it is not the role of the sheriff to enforce recommendations made, or to ensure compliance by any person who has provided a response to recommendations.
William MacDowell
Apr 15, 2026
The Sheriff's full determination is available to read on the Scottish Courts and Tribunals website and is the only authoritative document.
Background
Mr MacDowell was a prisoner at HMP Glenochil, who was serving a life sentence for the murders of 36-year-old Renee MacRae, and three-year-old Andrew MacRae in 1976.
He was sentenced by Lord Armstrong with a minimum term of 30 years during a trial at Inverness High Court in 2022.
Mr MacDowell had an extensive history of physical health problems.
On 23 November 2022, his condition was assessed by doctors at HMP Glenochil as being “very poor”, and his life expectancy was deemed to be weeks to a couple of months.
Care providers within the prison noted that his condition steadily deteriorated before being admitted to Forth Valley Royal Hospital on 7 February 2023, where he was provided with end-of-life care.
At 10:47 on 15 February 2023, Mr MacDowell was pronounced dead.
His cause of death was confirmed as heart failure. This was associated with a combination of high blood pressure, long term liver damage caused by alcohol and blood cancer.
DIPLAR
DIPLAR (Death in Prison Learning, Audit & Review) is completed after the death of any person in prison custody in Scotland and provides a system for the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) and the applicable NHS Board to record any learning and identify actions following a death.
A DIPLAR was carried out by SPS and NHS Forth Valley on 7 April 2023.
No learning points were identified.
Finding and recommendations
Sheriff Euan Gosney concluded that Mr MacDowell had an extensive history of physical health problems, and that SPS and Forth Valley Royal Hospital shared information well.
Sheriff Gosney said Mr MacDowell received “compassionate care”, with good care planning and consistent reviews.
The Sheriff, having agreed with the conclusions of the DIPLAR, made no recommendations.
His death could not have been realistically avoided and there are no defects in systems which contributed to his death, with no recommendations based on the available evidence.
The Sheriff's full determination is available to read on the Scottish Courts and Tribunals website and is the only authoritative document.