RELATIVES of victims of the Glasgow bin lorry crash last night accused prosecutors of lacking “thought, compassion and understanding” just hours after the conclusion of a Fatal Accident Inquiry into the deaths.

A family who lost three people last December were furious that Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland chose to release a detailed statement outlining the Crown Office’s reasons for not prosecuting driver Harry Clarke – a decision which has drawn widespread criticism – until after families had departed the hearing yesterday following 27 days of evidence.

The statement from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) detailed the “evidential considerations” made in reaching their conclusion.

Mr Mulholland, then spoke after its release saying he has “no doubt that the decision was the correct one in law”.

Scotland’s top law officer said he understood the anger and upset of the families and accepted the decision not to bring criminal charges against Harry Clarke, 58, was “unpopular”.

It came as the lawyer for Mr Clarke said he is “not a liar or a deceitful man” but an “ordinary man who has the failings of an ordinary man”. Paul Reid, QC, said his client would “carry with him” the tragic events of December 22 last year for the rest of his life.

But the grieving family of 18-year-old Erin McQuade and her grandparents Jack and Lorraine Sweeney said the Crown’s actions showed a “remarkable lack of thought, compassion and understanding”.

The McQuade and Sweeney family said the explanation should have been given to them in a “face to face” meeting. In a statement, they said: “Again, we are extremely disappointed in the actions of the Crown. We attended court every day of the 27-day inquiry. We should have been informed of this in a face-to-face meeting rather than through a press release to our solicitor. We again reiterate our view that the Crown is wrong in its decision not to prosecute.

“In reigniting the issue and releasing this statement once we had left court, rather than meet with us, we again feel wholly let down by the Crown.”

The statement adds: “Failing to discuss its reasoning with us and instead releasing a statement to our solicitor clearly demonstrates the remarkable lack of thought, compassion and understanding by the Crown we have encountered since our first meeting with its representatives.”

The family of Jacqueline Morton revealed their intention to pursue a private prosecution during the inquiry.

It is understood that the McQuade and Sweeney family will also pursue a private prosecution and are in the process of obtaining funding for it.

But Mr Mulholland insisted the Crown’s senior lawyers were unanimous in the view that there was insufficient evidence in law to raise criminal proceedings against Mr Clarke on charges including causing death by dangerous driving.

The Crown statement said: “If [it is found] there is sufficient evidence in law the Crown will go on to consider whether it is in the public interest to prosecute.”

A spokesman for the family of Jacqueline Morton said, following the Crown statement, their position had not changed and they “always believed there should have been a prosecution”.

A statement read outside the court on their behalf said the last six weeks have been a “difficult, stressful and at times upsetting experience”.

Meanwhile, Catherine Cairney, the aunt of Laura Stewart who was killed in 2010 along with her friend Mhairi Convy by a driver who blacked out, queried why the Crown Office and Mr Mulholland had only spoken now of their decision.

She also said that after years of meeting Crown Office officials, her family had never been given the same level of detail on how the decision not to prosecute the driver in her daughter’s case, William Payne, was reached.

“Every family deserves this, every family deserves to know how decisions are taken. There needs to be more transparency,” she said.

A spokesman for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: “Crown Office officials met the families affected by this tragedy in March to explain our decision not to prosecute the driver.

The Solicitor General offered to meet the families at any time they wished during the course of the fatal accident inquiry in order to answer any questions they may have.

“The Crown has made no public comment throughout the course of the FAI into the bin lorry crash to ensure appropriate focus remained on the inquiry and its purposes. Once the inquiry had adjourned to await the Sheriff’s determination, a highly detailed statement outlining the reasons for the decision not to prosecute the driver was provided to the families. Given the high level of public interest in the Crown’s decision, it was also right the statement was made public at this time.”

Sheriff John Beckett QC indicated he could take until January to deliver his written determination after giving the “extraordinary circumstances” of the incident “careful assessment”.

He said: “It may be the single most important outcome of the inquiry could be to highlight the danger of driving with a medical condition that makes you unfit.”

He said he hoped that all bus, lorry and professional drivers will now “reflect on their fitness to drive” and inform the DVLA of health issues.

The Sheriff also praised the families of the victims who attended court for their “composure and dignity” throughout the inquiry.