Pregnant prisoner considering legal action over handcuff mistake

Apology issued after woman was shackled to security guard during hospital visits

By Louise Hosie

Published:

A pregnant female prisoner is considering legal action after being shackled to a security guard while she showered in hospital, her solicitor said yesterday.

Donna McLeish was attached to the guard by the chain while she slept, showered and used the toilet at Stirling Royal Infirmary.

Her solicitor, Gerard Sweeney, said his client had also been placed under 24-hour surveillance by staff from the security firm Reliance during a separate visit to Stirling Royal Infirmary.

McLeish, 21, an inmate at Cornton Vale Prison in Stirling, is seven months’ pregnant.

Mr Sweeney has complained over the “primeval” holding procedures his client was subjected to.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) and Reliance have since apologised.

McLeish received a two-year jail term in January for assault after a glass attack on a woman at a nightclub.

She was admitted to hospital on March 6 suffering complications with her pregnancy. Mr Sweeney said during her stay, his client had been chained to an officer at all times.

He added that this included when she was showering, when the chain would be passed under the shower curtain.

“This method of security was primeval and wholly disproportionate,” he added.

In a statement, Reliance said: “It has long been our policy not to handcuff pregnant female prisoners when they go into hospital for their confinement.

“We have recently modified our procedures in agreement with the Scottish Prison Service to ensure that pregnant female prisoners are not handcuffed at any stage of their transportation to hospital or their stay in hospital.

“We did have a case in March where a pregnant female prisoner was mistakenly handcuffed when a risk assessment showed that was unnecessary.

“The cuffs were removed and an apology was made.” An SPS spokesman confirmed that McLeish had been handcuffed on two occasions.

“This was a mistake, an apology was made and it was rectified,” he added.

McLeish’s father, Alex, said: “I don’t want or expect her to have five-star treatment but I just would like her health and safety to be looked after and for her to have a bit of dignity.”