A woman who scammed a Moray man before trying to extort his mother and sister, who subsequently committed suicide, has died in prison.
Linsey Cotton, 33, was jailed for three years in October after admitting the £10,500 fraud.
She tricked Michael McDonough, 33, out of £5,000 and then tried to extort £5,500 from his mother Margaret McDonough, 53, and her daughter Nicola, 23, from Paisley.
In May 2012, Cotton met Mr McDonough, who served as a corporal at RAF Lossiemouth, on dating website Plenty of Fish while posing as her stepsister Stephanie, who was unaware of the scam.
Over the course of a year, Cotton tricked McDonough out of cash and a number of expensive gifts, including an engagement ring.
Cotton also told his mother and daughter they faced 20 years in jail for breaching a non-existent confidentiality clause.
The pair were found seriously injured in a hotel in Greenock days later, in May 2013, and later died in hospital.
Last night, police confirmed a 33-year-old female prisoner at HMP Saughton had collapsed and died.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Police in Edinburgh are investigating after the death of a 33-year-old woman prisoner from HMP Saughton on Sunday morning.
“A report will be sent to the procurator fiscal.”
Fatal accident inquiries are routinely held for deaths in custody.
