A FATAL Accident Inquiry is to be held into the prison death of a knife killer from Port Glasgow who was serving a life sentence.

Brendan Reilly, who was 34, died at HMP Bowhouse in Kilmarnock, in 2021.

He was behind bars for killing David Wilson on a street in the Port in 2005. Reilly stabbed him to death just hours after being released from Polmont Young Offenders Institute, where he'd served time for knife possession.

He was 19 at the time he attacked 20-year-old Mr Wilson, with the fatal assault occurring following a long-running feud in the area.

On the night of the fatal attack in July 2005, Reilly had been walking with his girlfriend when he met his victim.

His trial at the High Court in Edinburgh heard that there were two rival gangs in Port Glasgow at the time, called the Young Port Crew and the Young Oronsay Team.

Following an altercation, Reilly stabbed his victim three times in the back, puncturing his lung.

The killer claimed he had acted in self-defence and had been carrying the knife for his own protection.

Reilly was found dead in his cell within HMP Bowhouse, Kilmarnock on the morning of 11 June 2021.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has now lodged a First Notice to begin the court process for a FAI into his death.

The inquiry is mandatory under Section 2(4)(a) of the Inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. (Scotland) Act 2016. 

A preliminary hearing will be held on May 15 at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court.

Procurator fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads on fatalities investigations for COPFS, said:  “The death of Brendan Reilly occurred while in legal custody and as such a Fatal Accident Inquiry is mandatory. 

“The lodging of the First Notice enables FAI proceedings to commence under the direction of the sheriff.” 

The purpose of a Fatal Accident Inquiry includes determining the cause of death and the circumstances in which it occurred.

It will establish what, if any, reasonable precautions could have been taken, and could be implemented in the future, to minimise the risk of future deaths in similar circumstances.

Unlike criminal proceedings, FAIs are inquisitorial in nature, and are used to establish facts rather than to apportion blame. 

The inquiry will explore the circumstances of Mr Reilly’s death with an anticipated focus on Scottish Prison Service guidance in relation to morning checks and how management ensure compliance with the guidance. 

The inquiry is also expected to consider the issue of drugs supply within the prison and policies and procedures in place to limit same, both then and now.