London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Apr 09, 2026

Sheku Bayoh's sister says Scotland is a racist country

Sheku Bayoh's sister says Scotland is a racist country

The sister of a black man who died in police custody has told the BBC that she believes Scotland is a racist country.

Sheku Bayoh, 31, died after being restrained by officers in Kirkcaldy, Fife, in 2015.

At a public inquiry into his death last week, his sister Kadi Johnson said she no longer feels safe in Scotland.

She told BBC One Scotland's The Sunday Show that she now regrets encouraging her brother to move from London.

Mr Bayoh's family believe that race played a part in his death.

"Scotland is a place that I once loved and I felt safe in, but since my brother's death I don't feel safe anymore," Ms Johnson said.

Asked if Scotland was a racist country, she replied: "For me I will say yes, I'm afraid I'll say yes because the way we have been treated."

She said she had lost trust in the police since the death of her brother and accused officers of failing to tell her the truth about his death.

But she added that racism was also evident in other walks of life.

"Scotland still has a lot of work to do around racism," Ms Johnson said.

"We who are in it, feel it. We know what we are going through on a daily basis. It is different from a white person and we have seen it in our workplaces, our schools."

Research by charity Show Racism the Red Card published last year revealed there were 2,251 racist incidents reports in Scotland's schools in the previous three years.

In one incident a pupil shouted "Isis" to a group of girls wearing headscarves; in another a child wrote KKK on a black pupil's locker, according to the charity.

The Scottish government has since provided a new package of support materials for teachers to "embed anti-racism and race equality" in school life.

Ms Johnson said the issue should be tackled first in schools.

"For this to change, it starts from the grassroots, which is the schools," she said. "Start from the schools and work your way up because it's happening there.

"Black and ethnic minority children are experiencing that and it goes up to us, the adults."

Sheku Bayoh's mother and sister with lawyer Aamer Anwar outside the public inquiry last week


Last week the public inquiry into Mr Bayoh's death heard that Chief Constable Iain Livingstone believes that Police Scotland needs to be "anti-racist".

His QC Maria Maguire told the hearing: "The chief constable is aware that it is not enough to be alert to racism and deal with it on a case-by-case basis.

"Nor is it enough simply to be non-racist. Police Scotland needs to be anti-racist."

The public inquiry opened a year after the Kenmure Street protests, when hundreds of people surrounded an immigration enforcement van in which two Indian nationals were detained.

Lawyer Aamer Anwar, who also appeared on the programme, said that despite incidents like that there remained a "significant minority" of people in Scotland who are racist.

He said little had changed for people of colour in Scotland in the last 20 years.

"I stood on the steps of the high court 20-odd years ago after the murder Surjit Singh Chhokar - a racist murder that took 17 years to get justice - and asked how many black judges, how many black senior prosecutors, how many black senior police officers, how many black senior executives in public bodies?

"And the answer still today is pretty much zero. It hasn't changed that much in reality for the black or Asian minority ethnic community."

A spokesman for the Scottish government said it would await the findings of the independent inquiry before making further comment.

"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr Bayoh, who have shown remarkable dignity and perseverance during their five-year wait for an inquiry into his death," he added.


The death of Sheku Bayoh


Mobile phone footage of police restraining Sheku Bayoh was obtained by BBC Panorama


Police were called out in the early hours of 3 May 2015 after Sheku Bayoh was seen behaving erratically with a knife in a Kirkcaldy street. He had earlier taken drugs which friends said altered his behaviour.

According to police statements, when officers arrived he no longer had the knife, but failed to obey instructions to get down on the ground.

The officers used force on Mr Bayoh, including CS Spray and batons. He then punched PC Nicole Short, who fell to the ground.

Two officers, PC Craig Walker and PC Ashley Tomlinson, later told investigators that Mr Bayoh carried out a violent stamping attack on PC Short. However, evidence obtained by the BBC's Panorama programme suggested these accounts may have been false.

Mr Bayoh was restrained for five minutes before falling unconscious. He was pronounced dead in hospital a short time later.


Sheku Bayoh's sister believes Scotland is a racist country


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Foreign Secretary Highlights Impact of Intensified Strikes in Lebanon
UK Urges Inclusion of Lebanon in US-Iran Ceasefire Framework
UK Stocks Ease as Ceasefire Doubts in Middle East Weigh on Investor Confidence
UK Reassesses Cloud Strategy Amid Criticism Over Limited Support Measures
UK Calls for Full and Toll-Free Access Through Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions
Starmer Signals Strategic Shift for Britain Amid Escalating Iran-Linked Tensions
UK Issues Firm Warning to Russia Over Covert Underwater Military Activity
OpenAI Halts Stargate UK Project, Casting Uncertainty Over Britain’s AI Expansion Plans
Starmer Voices Frustration Over Global Pressures Driving UK Energy Costs Higher
UK Deploys Military Assets to Protect Undersea Cables From Suspected Russian Threat
Canada Aligns With US, UK and Australia as Europe Prepares Major Digital Border Overhaul
Meghan Markle’s Planned Australia Appearance Sparks Fresh Speculation
Starmer Warns Sustained Effort Needed to Ensure US–Iran Ceasefire Holds
UK to Partner with Shipping Industry to Rebuild Confidence in Strait of Hormuz, Cooper Says
UK Interest Rate Expectations Ease Following US–Iran Ceasefire Agreement
Starmer Signals Major Effort Needed to Fully Reopen Strait of Hormuz During Gulf Visit
UK Fuel Prices Face Ongoing Volatility Amid Global Pressures and Domestic Factors
Kanye West’s Planned Italy Festival Appearance Draws Debate After UK Entry Ban
Smuggling Routes Shift Toward Belgium as Migrant Crossings to UK Evolve
Ceasefire Offers Potential Relief for UK Fuel and Food Prices Amid Ongoing Uncertainty
Iran Conflict Raises Questions Over UK’s Global Influence and Military Preparedness
Senator McConnell Visits Kentucky to Highlight Federal Investment in Local Projects
Kanye West Barred from Entering UK as Legal Grounds Come into Focus
UK Denies Visa to Kanye West After Sponsors Withdraw from Wireless Festival
Trump-Era Forest Service Restructuring Leads to Closure of UK Lab Focused on Kentucky Woodland Health
Foreign Students in the UK Describe Harsh Living Conditions and Financial Pressures
Reform UK Proposes Visa Restrictions on Nations Pursuing Reparations Claims
Public Reaction Divides Over UK Decision to Bar Kanye West
Calls Grow for UK to Review US Base Access Following Concerns Over Escalating Rhetoric
UK Indicates It Will Not Permit Use of Its Bases for Potential US Strikes on Iran’s Energy Infrastructure
UK Prime Minister Defends Decision to Bar Kanye West, Questions Festival Booking
UK Accelerates Efforts to Harmonise Medical Technology Rules with United States
Wireless Festival Cancelled After Kanye West Denied Entry to the United Kingdom
Australia’s most decorated living soldier was arrested at Sydney Airport and charged with five counts of war-crime murder for the killing of unarmed Afghan civilians
The CIA’s Secret Technology That Can Find You by Your Heartbeat Successfully Locates Downed Airman
Operation Europe: Trump Deploys Vance to Hungary to Save the EU
King Charles Faces Criticism From Some UK Christians Over Absence of Easter Message
Former UK Defence Secretary Raises Concerns Over Ability to Counter Iran Missile Threat
UK Signals Non-Involvement in Iran Conflict as Trump Reasserts Firm Deterrence Stance
US and UK Strengthen Medical Device Cooperation Following Tariff Removal
Trump Backs Steve Hilton for California Governor, Highlighting Reform Agenda
UK Seeks Closer Ties With Anthropic as AI Policy Divergence Emerges Across Atlantic
Experts Warn of Evolving Extremism After Teens Arrested in UK Ambulance Arson Case
UK Convenes Talks to Safeguard Shipping Through Strait of Hormuz After Conflict Escalation
Trump Highlights Strong Leadership in Critique of UK Stance on Iran
UK Authorities Review Kanye West’s Entry Status Following Festival Backlash
UK Considers Deploying Aircraft Carrier for US Independence Day Celebrations Amid Renewed Transatlantic Focus
United Kingdom Moves to Attract AI Firm Anthropic Amid Tensions with US Defense Officials
RAF Intercepts Iranian Drones in Middle East to Defend Allied Security Interests
Labour Signals Shift on Foie Gras and Fur Restrictions to Advance EU Trade Talks
×