Scots killer who masked smell of girlfriend's body with bleach cause of death revealed

Andrew McKinlay was found by prison guards lying face down in his cell in July 2021.

A twisted Scots killer who stabbed his girlfriend to death before staying with her body for five days died in jail from lung complications.

Andrew McKinlay, 47, was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years in prison for murdering mum-of-three Josephine Steele at her home in Glasgow. He died in HMP Shotts on July 30, 2021.

A Fatal Accident Inquiry into the death determined that McKinlay's cause of death was bronchopneumonia.

McKinlay had a number of health issues in the run up to his death and the prison medical records revealed that whilst in jail he had several health issues. In 2018 he had hernia surgery, and in March of 2021 visited the prison healthcare team due to knee trouble, spots on his inner leg and wrist pain.

On July 7, of 2021 he complained of shortness of breath and an ECG and x-ray were arranged but McKinlay refused to attend. Later that month, on July 30, prison guards opened his cell door at 7:32 am and found him lying with his face down on the cell floor.

A small pool of congealed blood around McKinlay’s head and his skin was blue in colour. NHS staff were called, but they advised that rigor mortis had set in and there was no form of medical intervention that could be performed to save his life.

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At McKinlay's murder trial in 2015, the court heard he left Ms Steele with five deep stab wounds, several other cuts as well as defensive wounds during the brutal attack in October 2013.

He stayed with her body for the next five days before purchasing bleach and an Airwick air freshener in a bid to cover the smell. He moved out of the property to stay with a friend before the tragic mum’s body was discovered around two weeks later.

During a trial, the High Court in Glasgow was told how caring Josephine had allowed her partner to move in with her as he was about to be made homeless. The killer was found to have taken flu medication, valium and cannabis before launching the “sustained attack”.

During sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh, judge Kenneth Maciver told the murderer: “This was a brutal killing. Although it was a short relationship, she loved and trusted you and she was entitled to feel safe and secure in her own home.

“It is clear you attacked her in a drug and drink fuelled rage. The attack with a weapon was relentless. Your actions and conduct were callous and shameful, because you went on, as if nothing had happened.”

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