THE FAMILY of a man who died in police custody have said they will not tolerate any "attempt to delay or obstruct" the inquiry that is looking into his death.
A preliminary hearing took place on Thursday for Sheku Bayoh who died in May 2015 after being restrained by officers who were responding to a call in Kirkcaldy, Fife.
The 32-year-old's family claimed race played a part in his death and criticised the subsequent investigation.
A statement issued on behalf of the Bayoh family by solicitor Aamer Anwar said: "Sheku has a stubborn family who have refused to be bullied into silence.
"Six and a half years on, the family appreciate the massive scale of the inquiry and the thousands of documents needing to be examined.
"The family have placed their trust in the inquiry to be robust, but the family wish however to place on notice the Crown Office, PIRC and Police Scotland, that they will not tolerate any attempt to delay and obstruct the inquiry in its search for the truth."
Whether the fact that Sheku was black made a difference to his treatment will be considered at "every stage", the inquiry was told.
Angela Grahame QC, senior counsel to the inquiry, said in Edinburgh there will be no more than six hearings, the last of which will cover race.
She said: "In the final hearing we will seek to draw together all the evidence heard at each hearing regarding race. We will identify any evidence of overt racism, any failures or inadequacies and evidence of any aspect of events which could potentially give rise to an inference that decisions and outcomes were based on race."
An inquiry into Sheku's death was announced two years ago by Humza Yousaf and opened in November 2020.
The first public hearing is due to start on May 10 next year.
Ms Grahame said the inquiry team has so far gathered more than 21,000 items which it is working through.
Lord Bracadale said he wants the family to be "at the heart of this inquiry" and expressed his condolences to them.
He said: "The inquiry cannot make any determination as to criminal or civil liability. Its purpose is to seek to ascertain the truth and to that purpose I am fully committed."
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