Death of transgender prisoner jailed at Falkirk Sheriff Court is 'unexplained'

Tiffany Scott, previously known as Andrew Burns, died in HMP Grampian on Thursday, February 29.

The 32-year-old became ill on Wednesday night and died in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary the following day.

Now police are saying the death is unexplained.

While known as Andrew Burns, Scott was convicted of stalking a 13-year-old girl by sending letters while an inmate in Polmont YOI and jailed.

In 2017, following an incident which saw four guards and a nurse at HMP Glenochil assaulted by Scott and a dirty protest staged in the Clackmannanshire jail, Scott was due back in court.

At the time Alloa Sheriff Court was deemed to have insufficient security measures and the case was moved to Falkirk Sheriff Court.

However, the courtroom was cleared of the public for safety reasons, amid fears Scott, who has been known to bite open her own veins and spray blood at people, presented “a clear danger”.

Appearing in the dock half naked to the waist, wearing the remains of a shirt torn to shreds, Scott shouted abuse at a sheriff.

Surrounded by a phalanx of security guards and with police standing by, Scott replied “No” when asked by the clerk of court, “Are you Tiffany Louise Scott, formerly known as Andrew Burns?”

Sheriff Derek Livingston said: “I’m satisfied that’s who he is.”

Scott shouted: “I’m not ‘he’ anything ... she.”

Scott shouted abuse at Sheriff Livingston as he jailed her for a further year on five charges of assault and one of criminal damage, ordering the term to be served consecutive to her present, indeterminate sentence.

He added: “Take him down.”

As Scott was led from the dock after a hearing that had lasted barely 90 seconds, she turned to abuse the sheriff again.

Guards ordered her, “Shut up and keep walking.”

At the time of the incidents in Glenochil, prison staff were complying with her requests that she should be known as “Mighty Almighty”, or “Obi Wan Kenobi”.

A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: “Tiffany Scott, 32, of HMP Grampian, died on February 29.

“With each death in custody, Police Scotland are advised and the matter reported to the procurator fiscal. Fatal accident inquiries are held in due course.”