News In Focus
14 March 2006
Nat Fraser lawyer calls for criminal investigation
The lawyer representing Nat Fraser, the Moray man convicted of the murder of his wife Arlene, has called for a criminal investigation into the conduct of senior Grampian Police officers.
John Macaulay wants the Strathclyde Police inquiry headed by deputy chief constable Ricky Gray to investigate the conduct of senior CID officers involved in Arlene Fraser's murder inquiry.
The Crown Office is currently investigating the prosecution of the case after it was revealed that evidence was withheld from the defence during the High Court trial in January 2003. An appeal is to be heard based on this disclosure.
Fraser was jailed for life after being found guilty of murdering Arlene, who has never been seen since waving goodbye to her children when they left for school on 28 April 1998.
Mr Macaulay said he understood that the Strathclyde Police inquiry was to be a criminal investigation into the conduct of Grampian officers. Engagement, wedding and eternity rings belonging to Arlene were not in the house when a police video was shot early in the investigation. However, they appeared there nine days later.
It is understood that new evidence that has come to light that two Grampian police officers saw the rings on the day Arlene disappeared and made statements to that effect to the procurator fiscal in Inverness shortly afterwards. These statements were never passed on to the prosecution team.
The Crown Office has announced that the Lord Advocate found it disturbing that evidence had not been passed on and that Catherine Dyer, area procurator fiscal for Glasgow, would be conducting a full investigation.