Crime Correspondent

Austrian online bomb threat

Austrian online bomb threat

Authorities in Quebec, Canada have arrested an alleged terrorist linked to an Austrian online bomb threat, the Blotter on ABCNews.com has le...

Police believe the two UK based men are members of an international hacking group calling themselves the "THr34t-Krew".

Two UK men were arrested this morning following police raids in the UK and US aimed at dismantling an international hacker group believed to...

Actor Martin Sheen: "I've Been Arrested 65 Times"

The San Francisco Chronicle has reported that Martin Sheen claims that he has been arrested 65 times in the past 20 years. The most recent a...

Classic Car Broker Peter Brotman Sentenced to Prison after Bamboozling Nicolas Cage Out of $300k

Classic Car Broker Peter Brotman Sentenced to Prison after Bamboozling Nicolas Cage Out of $300k Peter Brotman, a classic-car broker who rep...

Actor Tom Sizemore from "Saving Private Ryan" Arrested for Drugs

Actor Tom Sizemore was arrested for possession of methamphetamine outside a hotel in Bakersfield, California, after an associate, Jason Salc...

judge praised actor Mel Gibson

A California judge praised actor Mel Gibson for successfully undergoing a rehab program after he made world headlines for drunken, racist, s...

Handcuffing Herself to Hugh Grant

Woman Prankster Arrested for Handcuffing Herself to Hugh Grant The star of a Dutch television show was arrested for handcuffing herself to a...

background checks on more than 1000 foreigners

THAI authorities are conducting background checks on more than 1000 foreigners working in Thailand after a spate of arrests for alleged chil...

Richard Monteith, 50, from Whitley Bay, is to plead guilty to murder.

Richard Monteith, 50, from Whitley Bay, is to plead guilty to murder. Spanish police have charged Monteith and his wife Anne-Marie, with the murder of 63-year-old Diana Dyson, from Sheffield. But according to Stephen Jakobi, a director of Fair Trials Abroad, Monteith has confessed to the contract killing of Mrs Dyson in the Spanish resort of Torremolinos in March 2002. Richard Monteith is being held in Spain Mr Jakobi said Monteith told his Spanish lawyer he had been offered up to £30,000 to carry out the killing. He said the charity would still act for Monteith's 48-year-old wife as long as she maintained her innocence. Mr Jakobi said: "Some admissions have been made. The Spanish lawyer said that developments in DNA testing had led to a confession. "She said what he said was that it was a contract killing and that he was offered a large sum of money to do it." Mr Jakobi confirmed the amount in question was between 25,000 and 50,000 euros (£16,600 - £33,200). Tests had shown the DNA of hair found under the victim's fingernails was Mr Monteith's. 'Serious crime' He is now expected to plead guilty at the forthcoming trial, expected to take place in "a month or two". But Mr Jakobi said he was worried about the possibility of Mrs Monteith receiving a fair hearing. He added: "The concern is that there is no money to pay for the legal defence of Mrs Monteith, who still declares her innocence and whose husband still declares her innocence. "The Spanish legal system is useless for serious crime. Only the young and inexperienced take legal aid cases. The rates are so rotten that serious lawyers don't do it. "On a murder charge, particularly one where her husband has pleaded guilty, you need a good lawyer." The couple have been held in prison in Malaga since being charged after Mrs Dyson's body was found in her apartment in Torremolinos on 10 March, 2002. Detectives believed she was dead for four or five days before she was found.

Richard Monteith, 50, from Whitley Bay, is to plead guilty to murder.

Richard Monteith, 50, from Whitley Bay, is to plead guilty to murder. Spanish police have charged Monteith and his wife Anne-Marie, with the...

Human Rights organisations in Egypt have stated that it is likely that the men will receive a minimum sentence of 25 years hard labour.

Majid Nawz, Ian Nesbitt and Rezha Pankhust, all British citizens are facing a military court on 20th October 2002. Human Rights organisatio...

enduring 20 nights on the cold concrete floor of one of South Africa’s most notorious prisons.

Derek Bond, 72, an unassuming wine enthusiast from Bristol, walked free from Durban Central Police Station after enduring 20 nights on the c...

Prague Piss Up Tours

20 March 2007 Ewan said: "The whole stag experience was fantastic and everyone had a great time and they all appreciated the time Peter...

Countries with a hardline stance on drugs

Death penalty Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Heavy prison sentences Cyprus: zero tolerance policy towards drugs and possession will usually lead to a hefty fine or even life imprisonment Greece: possession of even small quantities of drugs can lead to lengthy and even life imprisonment South East Asia: sentences of 40 to 50 years are not uncommon Harsh sentences India: 10 years for smoking cannabis Italy: Up to 20 years imprisonment Jamaica: Drug offences result in mandatory prison sentences and large fines. Possession of even small quantities can lead to imprisonment Morocco: Maximum of 10 years imprisonment plus a fine. Spain: Sentences for carrying can be up to 12 years Tunisia: Possession of even a small amount of drugs could cost you a term in prison, while more serious charges may even result in 20 years imprisonment plus a fine Turkey: Up to 20 years imprisonment Venezuela: Drug carriers face minimum 10-year prison sentences in harsh conditions

Countries with a hardline stance on drugs

Death penalty Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Heavy prison sentences Cyprus: zero tolerance policy towards drugs...

Many countries outside the UK refuse to grant bail before trial and often detain people in solitary confinement

Being caught by UK customs with a small amount of class C drugs, for personal use only, may just get you a financial penalty rather than a c...

Brits have been arrested for purchasing souvenirs that were, or looked like, antiques

Brits have been arrested for purchasing souvenirs that were, or looked like, antiques and which local customs authorities believed were nati...

arrested for possessing prescription drugs

A number of travellers have been arrested for possessing prescription drugs, particularly tranquilizers and amphetamines, that they purchase...

victimization of motorists has been refined to an art

In many places frequented by tourists, including areas of southern Europe, victimization of motorists has been refined to an art. Where it i...

India, Thailand and Australia also appear in the top ten countries where Briton’s required consular assistance

The Czech Republic features as one of the countries where most consular assistance is required with a disproportionate number of lost passpo...

Fair Trials Abroad may be called on to help with the actual investigation of a crime

Fair Trials Abroad may be called on to help with the actual investigation of a crime, in some cases even gathering evidence and statements. ...

Henry Stableford has been freed.

The Italian authorities exceeded the 30 day limit to present necessary papers from Morroco as these had not been forthcoming. However, the e...

SECOND INNOCENT BRITISH MAN ARRESTED ABROAD ON GROUNDLESS CHARGES FACES EXTRADITION TO MOROCCO

Another innocent British man has been arrested abroad in connection with the delivery of a boat to Morocco in 1997. Henry Stableford, a member of the ill-fated UK crew of Duanas has just been arrested in Fano Italy, on an international arrest warrant and now faces extradition to Morocco. Almost one year ago crewmember John Packwood was released from a Moroccan prison after His Majesty the King of Morocco granted his freedom before his trial on the basis that there was no case to answer. A second innocent crewmember is now confronted by the same nightmare ordeal. Unbelievably, Byranston educated Henry Stableford 31, a keen sailor who was a 21 year old deck hand on the Duanas at the time, now faces extradition to Morocco on the same groundless charges. He was working in Fano, on the Adriatic coast, as a subcontracted boat builder for Wally Yachts. He is currently in Pesaro prison. The Duanas was formerly HMS Cygnet, a Royal Navy patrol vessel once commanded by Tim Lawrence, the Princess Royal’s husband, and sold by HMG through a broker to the new owners. Like Mr Packwood, Henry responded to the advertisement to deliver the boat from Southampton in 1997. Upon arrival in Agadir, and after the boat being thoroughly searched and cleared by Moroccan customs, the hapless UK crew returned home. Two months later and unbeknown to the crew and sellers of the boat, the Duanas was used by a Columbian drug cartel with a Columbian crew to smuggle cocaine. They were caught off the Moroccan coast. No suggestion was ever made or evidence tendered to suggest the UK crew or the sellers of the boat knew that the owner was part of a cartel, or that they had any nexus whatsoever to the drugs later seized from the vessel. The UK crews’ only crime therefore, was that of answering an advert on a reputable crew agency website (Crewseekers) to deliver a boat from A to B. Over seven years later in October 2004, totally unaware that a Moroccan court had issued an international arrest warrant for the UK crew, John Packwood went on holiday to Spain. Thereupon he was arrested and spent over a year fighting extradition from a Madrid prison (a process that took no notice of evidence and was merely procedural). Inevitably, he was extradited to Morocco. The injustice of John’s case attracted the support of many celebrities and well known public figures, including George Clooney, Hugh Grant, Mark Knofler, Andrew Turner MP and numerous MEPS, who campaigned for his release with his lawyers. The proof of innocence and groundswell of support led to the welcomed intervention of the King of Morocco, before Mr Packwood’s trial, who granted his freedom based on there being no case to answer. Thankfully, after a nightmare ordeal, Mr Packwood was back home for Christmas 2005 with his family.

SECOND INNOCENT BRITISH MAN ARRESTED ABROAD ON GROUNDLESS CHARGES FACES EXTRADITION TO MOROCCO

Another innocent British man has been arrested abroad in connection with the delivery of a boat to Morocco in 1997. Henry Stableford, a memb...

Human rights is a very flexible concept... It depends how hypocritical you want to be on a particular day

A former CIA official has confirmed suspicions that dozens of terror suspects have been flown to jails in Middle Eastern countries where torture is routinely practised, and without reference to courts of law. Michael Scheuer, who once headed the hunt for Osama Bin Laden and left the CIA last November after a 22-year career, said the practice, known as "extraordinary rendition", was seen by the US as a key tactic in its war on terror. "The bottom line is getting anyone off the streets who is involved in acts of terrorism is a worthwhile activity," he told the BBC's File On 4 programme. Mike Scheuer, former CIA agent Mr Scheuer said the operation was authorised at the highest levels of the CIA and the White House and was approved by their lawyers. "The practice of capturing people and taking them to second or third countries arose because the Executive assigned the job of dismantling terrorist cells to the CIA. "When the agency came back and said 'Where do you want to take them?' the message was 'That's your job'." He added: "The idea that this is a rogue operation that someone has dreamt up is just absurd. I personally have no problem with doing any operation as long as it's justified legal by my superiors."

Human rights is a very flexible concept... It depends how hypocritical you want to be on a particular day

A former CIA official has confirmed suspicions that dozens of terror suspects have been flown to jails in Middle Eastern countries where tor...

2,421 British nationals detained overseas

As at 30 September 2006, British consular officials were aware of 2,421 British nationals detained overseas. We provide consular assistance ...

Seven British nationals were arrested in the early hours of this morning, between 2am and 4am, outside a nightclub near the stadium after being involv

The supporters were detained following a fracas outside a nightclub in the capital city of Skopje, the Foreign Office said. All have since b...

Sanctions were made by US and EU but made no difference for more than a decade.

Throughout the past 15 years or so, UN sent representatives to solve national reconciliation in Myanmar. But all the efforts these represent...

Rangoon Burma

Both the Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian are carrying disturbing photos and stories about what’s happening in Burma. The military a...