A serial sex attacker who drugged and assaulted a woman in Aberdeen has become the first Scottish prisoner to die after contracting coronavirus.
John Angus, 66, was being held at HMP Edinburgh, having been handed an order for life long restriction in 2011, and it is understood he had contracted Covid-19.
Angus was convicted at Inverness High Court in 2010.
Asked about the death of the prisoner, the First Minister declined to comment specifically, saying that a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) would take place.
Nicola Sturgeon said: “Let me say that we take the health and wellbeing of everyone in our prisons whether that’s prisoners, prison officers or our healthcare workers extremely seriously.
“The death of a prisoner in prison is always one that is a matter of great regret.
“It is also the case that when a prisoner dies in prison there is an automatic referral to the Procurator Fiscal and an FAI.”
Emergency legislation to tackle coronavirus, passed by MSPs last week, allowed for the release of some prisoners, excluding those who had committed sexual or terror offences.
Under the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020, regulations would need to be further approved by MSPs to allow for the release of prisoners.
The First Minister said the Scottish Government pays “very close attention” to the size of the prison population, along with regular conversations with the Justice Secretary on the matter.
She added: “We will continue to make the judgments that we think are in the best interests of prisoners and those who care for prisoners.
“We would always see prisoner release as a last resort and I think people would expect us to do that.
“But we have made sure that the powers are there if we think that is something that is required to keep our prisons safe places for prisoners and those who work in them.”
Angus, who previously served 11 years for tying up and gagging a primary school head teacher in Easter Ross and abducting a cleaner at knifepoint, was made subject to an order for lifelong restriction.
He had also previously been subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order in an attempt to keep him under supervision.
But he breached it when he failed to notify the force before catching a train to Aberdeen.
Angus had been living in a flat in Inverness before the trip to Aberdeen.
After arriving at a house in the Granite City, he plied a woman with anti-depressant pills.
Angus denied assaulting the woman with intent to rape her on May 5 2010 and a jury found him guilty of a reduced charge of indecent assault.
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