Driver beaten up in Greek custody
Page 26
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
by Miles Brignall III Human rights abuses of lorry drivers arrested abroad are being highlighted again by the fate of a British driver held in Greece who says he has been beaten up with the approval of local police, denied proper access to a lawyer and has received no help from his employer.
James Dormer, arrested and held in a Greek prison since before Christmas, is sharing a cell with 20 convicted prisoners with a hole in the floor for a toilet. Dormer and his girlfriend, Jacqui Rose, are both in prison awaiting trial after being arrested and accused of stealing a 445,000 load of Dr Martens boots (CM 30 Jan% Feb).
He says the translator provided for the couple at _their first hearing, at which they were refused bail, admitted to him that she lived with the owner of the boots. He also saw his log book and truck keys in her bag after the hearing.
He strongly maintains his innocence and says he has no idea what happened to the boots. He is very worried about Rose after their lawyer failed to turn up at her second bail hearing, and as a result she was sent back to jail.
No trial date for the pair has been set, although an anonymous donor has paid a sum of money to their lawyer to allow work on their defence to begin.