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A prisoner who witnessed death-in-custody inmate Allan Marshall being dragged to his death in HMP Edinburgh has claimed the force used by officers was the worst he had ever seen.

The former inmate, who has spoken to the Sunday Mail on condition of anonymity, still suffers nightmares about the horrific incident.

Following a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) into his death last year, Sheriff Gordon Liddle described the evidence of jail guards as “mutually and consistently dishonest”.

And, in the same 109-page report, the lawman said testimonies given by three prisoners was “consistent” and “straightforward”.

Now, one of the inmates has broken his silence on the harrowing final moments of Mr Marshall inside the jail, known as Saughton prison.

(Image: PETER JOLLY NORTHPIX)

The 40-year-old described how he felt helpless hearing Mr Marshall’s screams as up to 13 guards brought him under control.

He viewed the incident through a hatch in his cell door in the Segregation and Reintegration Unit (SRU).

The dad said: “I asked the nurse a couple of days later for sleeping tablets because of the nightmares. Every two or three weeks after that, I’d have these recurring bad dreams.

“I’ve had nightmares of Allan walking about with his arms outstretched saying, ‘Help me.’

“I still get them. They’ve never really stopped.”

Mr Marshall was being held in prison after he appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court on a breach of the peace charge and remanded in custody because of unpaid fines.

The 30-year-old was dragged naked, feet first and face down across a corridor with a towel over his face.

He suffered multiple injuries and died four days later in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary while in an induced coma on March 28, 2015.

The ex-prisoner believes some officers involved in restraining Mr Marshall should face criminal charges – even though they were given immunity from prosecution by the Crown Office.

He recalled how he shouted at the guards from behind his locked door during the incident.

The former offender added: “I remember shouting, ‘You f****** murderous b*******’. You torturing sado-masochistic b*******. You’ve killed him.’

“I remember kicking my door and one of the prison officers asked me if I’d heard what went on. I told him I’d seen the whole thing from start to finish.

“I also said I’d tell the boy’s family exactly what I’d seen.”

Mr Marshall had been taken to the SRU after allegedly damaging his cell.

The ex-prisoner, who has served several jail sentences, said: “I was annoyed I couldn’t help him. If I could have opened the door, I would have run to his defence.

(Image: Collect)

“I’d never seen restraint with such levels of force and for so long. I had tears in my eyes seeing what happened.

“It was a prolonged and sustained torture of a prisoner.”

The witness admitted he has a number of convictions – mainly for fraud and theft – and is on probation for assault.

He added: “I heard a commotion from the shower area at breakfast time and the sound of a slap on someone’s face. I then heard a scuffle, as if they were rolling about.

“The riot bell went off and there was another commotion outside in the corridor.

“That’s when I kicked open the hatch on my cell door and saw Allan being dragged out of the shower by his feet along the floor.

“I saw more officers pile into the section. Given the amount of prison officers involved, it was extreme force. Even when they had him on the ground, under control and not causing any danger.”

Mr Marshall ran his own recycling business in Glasgow’s Castlemilk area before he died.

His family have demanded action is taken against prison officers who were involved in restraining the dad of two.

(Image: Jamie Williamson)

Disturbing video footage of the incident shows Mr Marshall being held down and dragged along the floor with a warden holding his limbs and placing a towel over his head.

The ex-inmate said: “The restraint went on far too long. I saw his arm being twisted with extreme, brutal force and him being hit in the ribs. They were also using their feet to restrain him.

“The police later asked if Allan was making any noises. I said he was screaming. It was a high-pitched shrill, like a horror movie scream. He was in that much pain.”

The former prisoner, who was serving 12 months for theft and fraud, added: “He couldn’t retaliate – he was exhausted. It was almost as if the life was draining from him.

“He then went limp, as if he was a dead weight on the floor, half a metre from my door.

“But they were still pushing him. I saw his skin go grey and blue.

“Then they realised he was not moving and I saw shock on their faces. The nurses ran in at that point with defibrillators to try to revive him.”

(Image: Jamie Williamson)

Following the restraint, a guard can be seen on CCTV closing the prisoner’s hatch.

The former inmate added: “I was asked by the CID if I wanted to give a statement and I said yes. That’s when the staff turned on me.

“I heard them talking about it from my cell. Most of the prison officers were talking about being too old to get another job.

“They were saying, ‘If he goes ahead and tells the truth, that’s the end of our jobs – maybe even criminal charges.’”

The man claims he was attacked and injured by prison officers a few weeks after the incident.

Mr Marshall’s FAI heard that the witness lodged a complaint with the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) following the alleged incident but no action was taken.

He added: “The procurator fiscal claimed I had ulterior motives for giving evidence against the prison officers. But the sheriff told me I had given concise, clear and intelligent evidence.

“The prison officers knew I was going to speak, no matter what happened to me.

“I couldn’t believe the judge taking my word over that of prison officers. I just told the truth, so help me God.”

Sheriff Liddle described the Inverness prisoner’s evidence as “unsettling”.

He wrote: “He said that he saw Mr Marshall being ‘dragged’ along the section, which corresponds with what can be seen in the video recording. He describes and correctly named a number of the officers that he saw.”

The inmate, who was privately educated and is a trained mechanic, says he plans to stay out of jail. He hopes to start college next year and then get a job.