Arlene Fraser

Arlene Fraser was a 33-year-old woman from Elgin in Moray, Scotland, who vanished from her home on 28 April 1998 after her two children went to school. No trace of her was ever found, but her husband was convicted of her murder, upheld on appeal.

Initially treated as a missing persons inquiry by Grampian Police, the senior detective in the case Detective Chief Inspector Peter Simpson said six months after her disappearance "The only conclusion that's still left open to us, which I firmly believe has happened, is that something criminal has taken place here and that Arlene has been the victim of a crime. I am of the opinion that she's dead. There's no indication that she's living somewhere else".

At the time her husband Nat Fraser was on bail for the attempted murder of his wife for an incident that occurred before she disappeared, but at this point in the investigation police were satisfied with his alibi. This charge was later reduced to one of assault, although he was jailed for 18 months when convicted nearly two years later. Defence counsel Neil Murray QC said part of the delay in bringing the case to court was that a number of challenges were made under the European Convention on Human Rights, claiming that Fraser could not get a fair trial because of publicity. Fraser was also charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to police inquiries into a beige Ford Fiesta which they believed to be involved in Arlene Fraser's disappearance. The car had been purchased by a friend of Nat Fraser, Hector Dick who also faced the same charges.

Dick had been due to appear at Elgin Sheriff Court in August 2000. However, the case was delayed and at the request of the defence moved, eventually being heard at Dingwall Sheriff Court at the start of 2001. On the fourth day of his trial Dick changed his plea, and pleaded guilty to a slightly lesser charge. He was subsequently jailed for a year, during which period he attempted to commit suicide by hanging himself.

Fraser was released from prison in April 2001 after serving half his sentence but was jailed again four months later after admitting lying to receive almost £19,000 in legal aid funding. In June 2001, a third man Glenn Lucas was charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to the case. Finally, on 26 April 2002, it was announced by the Crown Office that Fraser, Dick and Lucas had been indicted for the murder of Arlene Fraser, with each being charged with conspiring to murder Mrs Fraser, murdering her and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

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Wikipedia