A convicted murderer on the run from a Scottish open prison has been found dead in a West African holiday resort.
John Brown, convicted of murder in 1976, absconded from Castle Huntly prison, near Dundee, after he was let out on home leave in May.
The 57-year-old's body was discovered in The Gambia on 29 November. It is understood he was found hanged.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We can confirm the death of a British national in The Gambia."
He added: "Next of kin have been informed and we are providing consular assistance."
Brown previously lived and worked in both Glasgow and Edinburgh.
His disappearance was described by the authorities as being "completely out of character".
Home leave
At the time, Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill was put under pressure to resign as the escape followed that of armed robber Brian Martin, known as The Hawk, who also went on the run from Castle Huntly.
Brown had been transferred to the open prison on the advice of the Parole Board in February this year.
He was being considered for release in July, Scotland's Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said at the time of his disappearance.
He said the prisoner had "no history" of absconding, and had completed a "successful" period of home leave a month before he vanished.
Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Bill Aitken has demanded an investigation into how Brown managed to leave the country.
He said: "There are clearly questions which have to be asked, the most obvious one being how did this man get a passport when he had been in prison for many years?
"Secondly, how was he able to fund this trip to The Gambia? I am also intrigued as to why he should have gone there of all places."
First Minister Alex Salmond said the Scottish government would discuss whether to demand powers to withhold prisoners' passports.
He said: "In terms of John Brown leaving the country, you'll be aware that the Passport Agency is not under the control of this government.
"We don't actually have the power to withdraw anyone's passport, in terms of the ability of the Scottish Prison Service or any other agency of government."
The Home Office said Brown could not have been stopped from travelling abroad as no warrant was in place for his arrest.
BBC
