The Saga Of The Search Warrant

  On February 12th 2010, I was arrested by plainclothes police officers in Aberdeen and charged with Breach of the Peace. The following day my house in Cheshire was searched by Grampian Police officers and various items were removed including my computer hard drive, my diary and all paperwork relating to the Hollie Greig case, which included items belonging to Anne Greig. No inventory was taken of the items removed. I was advised by my defence team that they had never before heard of a Search Warrant being requested for a minor offence such as Breach of the Peace.

  On April 12th 2010 I asked officers at Warrington Police Station about the warrant and was told that DC Brian Geddes of Grampian Police would send me a copy in the post. This copy has never arrived.

 Around the same time Anne Greig's MP, Owen Paterson, contacted Grampian Police who informed him that a PC Greades from Tillydrone Police Station arranged the warrant. When we spoke to this officer, whose name turned out to be "Vreades", he told us that he had no knowledge of this matter and was not even authorised to issue warrants.

 On July 30th 2010 I was informed by Inspector Liz Adderley of Cheshire Police that she had seen an e-mail copy of the warrant but she refused to let me see it.

On March 25th 2011 I wrote to Grampian Police again and three days later received a reply from Detective Superintendent Peter Reilly who stated:

 I can confirm that the original Search Warrant was forwarded to the Procurator Fiscal at Aberdeen on Monday 15 February 2010, along with the other documents relating to your Court appearance on this date.

Grampian Police do not hold a copy of this Search Warrant.

Any request for a copy of this document should be 

 made to the Procurator Fiscal's Office, Atholl House, 84-88 Guild Street, Aberdeen.

 I do not understand how Grampian Police could have sent the document to Cheshire Police if they did not have a copy in their possession.

 I phoned the Procurator Fiscal's office to ask them to send me a copy of the warrant. I have not yet received this.

 On the morning of my recent court appearance in Stonehaven I went into the Procurator Fiscal's office in Aberdeen to try to obtain a copy. I was informed that the warrant was at Stonehaven. On my arrival at Stonehaven I asked a court official for a copy and was told that I could raise this in the hearing. When I did not get the opportunity to raise this in the hearing, I asked for a brief meeting with Procurator Fiscal Anne Currie. This request was refused.

 Why is it proving so difficult to obtain a copy of a Search Warrant ?