THE FAMILY of Colin Marr, who died in his Lochgelly home, last Wednesday had their petition heard by the Justice Committee as they seek to help other families receive information and closure after self-inflicted and accidental deaths.

Colin’s mum, Margaret Graham, and stepdad Stuart Graham, fought a painful battle for years as they tried to find out the truth following his death in July 2007.

The death of Colin (23) following a row with his fiancee at their home at Johnston Crescent, Lochgelly, was initially treated as a suicide by police. However, his family soon suspected Colin had not taken his own life and began a long campaign to find out the truth.

Now Colin’s stepdad, Stuart, has lodged a petition with the Justice Committee at the Scottish Parliament and said, “Families have very few rights, and it’s a rare, rare occasion that a fatal accident inquiry happens. Families should have an absolute right for access to information. In England every unforeseen death is subject to public scrutiny, and all we want is for families here to have the right to see all the information.

“When criminals are on trial they have the right to see all the information, so why shouldn’t families have the same?” Stuart also pointed out that although Colin’s case was well-publicised, there is often no closure or answers for families after self-inflicted or accidental deaths.

“There’s no real public face to this, hardly any other deaths get this level of publicity, despite Scotland having one of the highest suicide rates in Western Europe,” he said. “The principle is it’s right if you want a socially just society. People shouldn’t have to pay £10,000 in lawyers fees to fight it.

“It’s not about dragging families through the courts when they don’t want to, but families should have the right to have this information.”