Suspected football hooligan Lewis Andrews has had his trial in Albufeira suspended as the Portuguese authorities don’t know where he lives.
The man was arrested in 2004 amid the street violence that erupted in several locations across the Algarve, most particularly in Albufeira, and two days later was deported.
Police at Heathrow interviewed Andrews and said there was to be no further action by the Portuguese authorities. This was premature as the Portuguese state has ten years in which to try the case and, for reasons best known to the judiciary, decided to go to trial nine and half years later.
Lewis Andrews, Richard Feeman and Wayne Finney were meant to appear in court in Albufeira on Monday but when contacted by Sky Sport last week Andrews knew nothing of his impending trial date, expressing shock that he was to face trial nearly ten years after he was arrested, accused and then deported by the Portuguese police.
A further 21 men similarly treated in 2004 have seen any possibility of court action evaporate as the ten year time limit has come and gone.
Not so for the remaining three. Under the vagaries of the Portuguese legal system Andrews has to be in court or he can not be tried.
The other two men can be tried, judged and sentenced in their absence with the worry then of the UK police responding to an European Arrest Warrant issued by Portugal which they will as the views and opinions of any UK judicial authority is irrelavent.
The three were charged in December 2004 so Andrews needs to remain in the UK or elsewhere until the new year.
It is hoped that the courts will find a way of kicking these cases into the long grass as the evidence, such as it is, relies on police statements, is old and therefore unreliable.
This delaying tactic has been used many time before, most notably in the Serena Wylde case when the British woman, taken to court by her lawyer, was denied her day in court by the Portuguese judge who called in sick on the trial date, the new date arranged being conveniently outside the ten year period.
Comments
Needing safe passage from 'raiders' and anchorage from storms during the Magreb occupation - 'the English yob' secured Portugal's boundaries during the Crusading period and guaranteed them 100 years later for the following centuries of Sail via the Treaty of Windsor. The arrangement only unravelling in the Age of Steamships.
Without yobs like these – or the threat of them 'coming on tour' - the Spanish would have rolled Portugal over in a weekend. And 200 years ago the French likewise learnt their lesson from them.
So where in Portugal are the statues erected and medals awarded to 'English yob's' ???
To what purpose?
Has the Portuguese judicial system nothing more pressing to waste it's time and effort on?
In a childish fit of pique - the Portuguese had to lash out at some British .... any British !!!
If the original Portuguese Police investigation of the street riots had been carried out to a suitable international standard - the identity of the perpetrators would have been sufficient for their punishment at the time.
And, if the Portuguese justice system could be trusted to judge fairly even the 'licensing of a whelk stall' ... any absconding British trouble makers shipped back.
Does this now explain why so few whelk stalls operate here ?
But this is Portugal - a land where Alice in Wonderland and all her associates like the Mad Hatter would be completely at home.
Consider just one current example. Judical Secrecy in investigations is supposed to be total. Absolute.
Yet the Portuguese TV stations are so well informed they run their McCann news items in the street - knowing that the UK Police are due to pass the cameras in 'any moment'.
And the British Police, having told the PJ their planned movements - not surprisingly do !
So who is briefing the TV presenters and why cannot the Meco Beach Parents get even 100'th of this breach of 'Judicial secrecey' to help their investigation - before it is conveniently archived ?