A year after the death of Mikhail Ackrim in a Glasgow flat used for Home Office accommodation, his family is still searching for answers. The 37-year-old was found semi-naked and face down on the bedroom floor, with small stab wounds to his shin that had fractured his leg.
Pathologists determined that Ackrim had drugs, including a newer form of deadly “street Valium” called bromazolam, in his system. However, the post-mortem report concluded that the cause of death was “unascertained” due to the unclear circumstances surrounding the incident.
Ackrim’s mother, Sheena Millar, is distraught over the lack of progress in the investigation. “It’s awful, you can’t even imagine what it’s like. My family are not getting any answers,” she said. Millar explained that the prolonged uncertainty has taken a severe toll, causing her to lose sleep, experience hair loss, and become seriously ill.
The night of Ackrim’s death, he had gone out with a female friend and ended up at a flat in Parkhead, where they were joined by three other individuals. Police were later called to the property following reports of an assault and robbery, during which they discovered Ackrim’s body.
Three men, including the flat’s resident James Carter, were initially arrested but later released pending further inquiries. Carter, who was born Abdou Ndow, was charged with assault and robbery but the case was later dropped due to a lack of evidence.
The flat where Ackrim died was operated by the Mears Group, a company contracted by the Home Office to provide temporary accommodation for asylum seekers. Both Mears and the Home Office have stated that they have no records of drug use or dealing at the property.
Police Scotland has maintained that no criminality was established in their investigation, and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has expressed empathy for the family’s “deep distress and pain” while defending the decision not to pursue further action.
Millar, however, believes her son was the victim of a crime and that not enough was done to determine the circumstances of his death. She is now speaking out in the hope of generating new leads and shedding light on the unexplained tragedy.
