Tortured man's death from flat could have been prevented

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 9 Oct, 13:49 · Archive

A man who fell from a high-rise Aberdeen flat after being tortured could have been saved, a sheriff has found.

Jamie Forbes, 37, jumped from a 12th-floor window at Elphinstone Court in Aberdeen in January 2024 after being held against his will and tortured for two days by Lee Smith, 37. Smith repeatedly struck Forbes with a hammer, punched and kicked him during the attack. The flat door's lock had been tampered with, leaving the window as the only route of escape.

During the ordeal, neighbours called 999 after hearing screams and seeing a man with blood on his face at a window. One caller on the 10th floor reported a man shouting 'Please help me'. However, a Police Scotland call handler wrongly recorded information about which storey the screams were coming from. When officers attended and carried out door-to-door inquiries, they were unable to trace the source of the cries and left without finding Forbes. He then fell from the window.

Following a fatal accident inquiry at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, Sheriff Principal Andrew Miller ruled the death 'might realistically' have been prevented. He identified four reasonable precautions that could have been taken: accurate recording of 999 call information, follow-up contact with the witness, better communication between officers and supervisors, and acting on reports of screams from higher floors. The inquiry recommended new guidance for Police Scotland call handlers.

Lee Smith was jailed for eight years in December 2024 after admitting culpable homicide at the High Court in Edinburgh.

How it is being reported

• Death of torture victim who fell from high-rise flat could have been avoided after screams reportedJamie Forbes, 37, died after he was tortured at the flat for two days in January 2024.Daily Record · 9 Oct, 13:14
• Tortured man's death in high-rise flat plunge could have been avoided - inquiryThe possible location of screams were wrongly recorded in a 999 call and Jamie Forbes fell to his death from the flat in Aberdeen.BBC Scotland · 9 Oct, 12:40

In this story: Jamie Forbes · Lee Smith · Police Scotland · Elphinstone Court · Aberdeen

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