AN Aberdeen newly-wed, held for more than a month in a Canary Island
prison while awaiting a date for his trial, was reunited with his bride
yesterday after being freed by a Judge.
After being told that Mr William Buchan's wife was coming to Tenerife,
the Judge decided he should be freed without bail on condition that he
reported to the court every 15 days.
Mr Buchan, 22, had been arrested during his honeymoon at a holiday
apartment complex, and charged with seriously injuring a French
holidaymaker during a fight. He was accused of knocking the man out with
a stick after chasing him into his apartment.
British consular officials were told by Mr Buchan that the victim had
sexually attacked his 23-year-old bride by the poolside. Mrs Sandie
Buchan was also hurt in the fracas. Police said she had fallen from a
balcony and spent four days in hospital recovering from injuries to her
hands and jaw.
Mr Buchan was ordered to report twice a month to a court near the
resort of Playas de las Americas, where the alleged attack occurred.
Mrs Buchan had flown to the island with her mother-in-law at the
weekend expecting to visit her husband in jail. Yesterday, the couple
had still not been given a date for his trial or told how long he could
expect to spend on the island.
There is nothing to prevent him returning home as his passport was not
taken from him.
Many holidaymakers who get into trouble on the islands return home
because of the long delays in cases coming to court. The majority do not
return for their trial, but face automatic arrest if they return to the
Canary Islands at a later date.
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