John Gallagher Dies of Cancer at 72 | Aberdeen News

Aberdeen News Today | 2 Min | The Daily News Now! · Jul 28, 2026 · 1m

John Gallagher, the convicted murderer and mastermind behind the 1984 Peterhead prison riot, died at 72 from terminal lung cancer while serving a recall to prison. His death, confirmed by a fatal accident inquiry, was ruled a health-related event—not a prison failure—and his deteriorating condition, worsened by pre-existing illnesses including TB and heart issues, was deemed unavoidable. Despite his violent past—including a 1988 hunger strike, a 2015 stabbing while protecting his family, and a later prison mentoring role—his final days were marked by illness, not injustice. Listen in…