TL;DR
- John Bell, 44, accused of sexually assaulting an eight-year-old boy at Loch Ness Bay campsite, has died in custody at HMP Inverness.
- The incident occurred on 31 July, where the boy’s father intervened as Bell was leaving the tent.
- Police noted no suspicious circumstances surrounding Bell’s death; a Fatal Accident Inquiry is pending.
Man accused of sexually assaulting boy at Scottish Highlands campsite dies in prison | UK News
A man accused of sexually assaulting an eight-year-old boy at a campsite in Scotland has died in prison.
John Bell, 44, was charged over an incident that took place at the Loch Ness Bay campsite in Drumnadrochit on 31 July.
Police were told a man had approached a boy in his tent between 12.20am and 1am, while his family were in a separate tent next to him.
The eight-year-old’s father heard the incident and came out to see a man walking away from his son’s tent, Police Scotland previously said.
Officers said the boy’s father asked the suspect what he was doing, and that he replied to him before walking off.
Bell, of Grangemouth in Falkirk, had been remanded in custody at HMP Inverness. He made no plea during a court appearance in September.
He reportedly died in his cell.
A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: “Every death, whether in prison custody or in our communities, is a tragedy for all those who knew and supported the individual.
“Following the death of someone in our care, Police Scotland are advised and the matter reported to the Procurator Fiscal. Fatal Accident Inquiries are held in due course.”
Police Scotland were made aware of the death at around 5.20am on Saturday, a spokesperson for the force said.
They added: “There do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances.
