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The mother of a drink driving 21-year-old student who took her own life behind bars today told an inquiry how she seemed 'petrified' of other prisoners, who told her: 'Go hang yourself, give us all peace'.

Linda Allan, 56, told Falkirk Sheriff Court her daughter Katie appeared 'exhausted' after complaining about being kept awake at night by other inmates shouting abuse at her from neighbouring cells.

Mrs Allan was giving evidence on the second day of a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) examining the circumstances of her daughter's death and the death of 16-year-old William Brown at Polmont young offenders institution in 2018.

Ms Allan, a geography student at Glasgow University, was found dead in her cell research paper on friends with benefits June 4 as she was serving a 16-month sentence for drink-driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Mr Brown, who had been in care repeatedly and was also known as William Lindsay, was found dead in his cell on October 7 - three days after being admitted as there was no space in a children's secure unit. 

Katie Allan's mother Linda is a nurse, a former Scottish government advisor and an honorary clinical associate professor at Glasgow University. She has been campaigning over her daughter's case with her husband, Stuart, a specialist in data and trends.  








Katie Allan, who took her own life inside Polmont Young Offenders Institution, Stirlingshire










Ms Allan's mother Linda arriving in court this morning  









The agreed evidence was heard at the first day of a fatal accident inquiry at Falkirk Sheriff Court, which is looking into the deaths of Ms Allan and inmate William Brown (pictured) 









Polmont Young Offenders Institution in Stirlingshire

Today Mrs Allan told the media that prison officers should have recognised her daughter was at risk of suicide. 

'It's irrelevant whether prison officers had a good relationship or not with our daughter. Prison officers had a job to do, and that was to protect our daughter and recognise, as they describe it, clues and cues as to her suicide risk,' she said. 

'I don't know what more they would have needed for her to be deemed a suicide risk. She lost between 60 and 80 per cent of her hair, she was covered in self-harming marks, she was covered in eczema, she had weight loss and she was distressed. What more would have needed to happen for her to be a suicide risk.'

Earlier today, she told the inquiry she and her son Scott visited her daughter Katie at Polmont on June 3, during which her daughter broke down in tears as she recounted her days in prison.