The Stonehaven Trial So Far

An extended adjournment until Monday has allowed me to post this update on the trial`s progress.

To begin with, I must thank all those kind, loyal and courageous people who had come again to Stonehaven yet again to support me. They have come from other parts of Scotland and even England in their own time and at their own considerable expense. I am deeply moved by such support, which has been a source of great strength to me.

Perhaps a very pertinent and basic question that is arisen as to why I have been prosecuted at all for a Breach of the Peace, which is intended to protect the public in general, not a specific number of individuals who have been identified by letter of other means of communication. Virtually all of the civilian witnesses brought by the prosecution who claim to have been upset by me comprise some of those named as alleged abusers or victims by Hollie.

A perfectly adequate legal remedy exists for those concerned - defamation.

I have always invited anyone who regards my publication of the allegations to be unfair or inaccurate to challenge me.

No-one, either individually or collectively has chosen to take this logical civil route that would have the most appropriate one, at no cost to the people of Scotland. Instead, even prior to the trial, an estimated half a million pounds of taxpayers` money has been spent on prosecuting me on a simple summary charge. It is an issue of possible misuse of much-needed public funds that may justifiably be put to the Scottish establishment, including leading politicians.

The most interesting cross-examination so far has been that of DC Lisa Evans by defence counsel Andy Lamb QC. The prosecution in fact attempted to obstruct Mr Lamb from doing so in the manner he intended, which led to an unexpected adjournment on Wednesday.

DC Evans was the Grampian Police officer who interviewed Hollie on 8th September 2009, at which I was present. Hollie, displaying an astonishing degree of courage and composure, clearly related her rape ordeals during the formal questioning that lasted three and a half hours. It was the most harrowing discussion I have ever witnessed and left me with a lasting admiration for the fortitude under pressure of this extraordinary young woman.

Such was the power and sincerity of Hollie`s evidence, backed by the knowledge that the state had earlier accepted the overwhelming probability of the truth of Hollie`s allegations by paying her £13, 500 from the CICA, that I then believed that even Grampian Police could no longer ignore the necessity for a full investigation. An action of this type would naturally have led to all those named being interviewed, along with the seizure or examination of their computers of those that used them, a normal procedure where serious allegations of child-sex crimes exist.

During the cross-examination of the alleged abusers and victims, all stated that they had never been approached by the police following Hollie`s allegations.

In the circumstances, it may be of significance that DC Evans was among the four officers who raided my home whilst I was held in custody in Aberdeen. No inventory of the items removed was ever left with me, but among the missing items were two notebooks which I used to record details of Hollie`s interview with Evans. Neither of these important documents was returned to the defence by the Crown. Under pressure from my legal team, it is understood that one has now been "found", but there is still no sign of the other.

When cross-examined by Mr Lamb, Evans even attempted to mislead the court about the exact layout of the area where the interview took place.

Much was made by the prosecution of the items seized from my home that day, including a list of the alleged perpetrators that I had sent out that has been used against me. In his quiet but penetrative way, Mr Lamb asked DC Evans if any of the names that appeared on that list corresponded with any of the names provided to her by Hollie.

The officer admitted that there were.

Thus, there can be no rational explanation for the total lack of action in Grampian Police not contacting named individuals following the 8th September 2009 interview.

The alleged abusers all stated in court that they were entirely innocent. If this is true, then Grampian Police has failed them also, because if they had been questioned, had their computers checked and it had been found that no evidence existed to justify a prosecution, I could have no longer been in a position to realistically continue my subsequent actions in support of Hollie`s case and there would have been no grounds to prosecute me at all

Naturally, the matter of the true facts behind death of Robert David Greig is an issue that cannot possibly go away.Only a full and reliable investigation is acceptable.