‘I'm suing Spain after my new life in Tenerife became a complete nightmare’

Gary Owens was accused of a transgression helium says helium didn't perpetrate (Image: MEN)

A British antheral is inactive warring for justness 3 decades aft helium was wrongly held successful jail, arrested and forced to wage bail aft a execution lawsuit was "pinned" connected him. 

Gary Owens, a guitarist from Stockport, was doubly arrested and held successful jailhouse connected remand successful 1991 and 2008 connected suspicion of playing a portion successful the decease of a affluent Norwegian nine proprietor connected the Costa del Sol.

Now, aft failed ineligible enactment done a multitude of Spanish courts, his lawyer is to taxable a lawsuit to the European Court of Human Rights successful Strasbourg adjacent month, seeking £4.6m successful compensation from the Spanish government.

The ordeal began successful 1991 erstwhile a Spanish policeman tapped connected the model of Gary’s prosecute car extracurricular his level successful Tenerife. He claims 15 officers surrounded his conveyance and enactment a shotgun done the model - inches from his face.

He was arrested connected suspicion of murdering a Norwegian businessman Torbjorn Heta. The assemblage of Mr Heta, 33, the proprietor of a nightclub and signaling workplace successful Marbella, was recovered down a well.

Gary Owens is suing Spain for mendacious imprisonment (Image: MEN)

Owens told Manchester Evening News: "I was penning songs, that's however I knew the dormant guy. He had a 24-track signaling workplace successful his basement. I was doing immoderate tiny gigs and hoping to grounds a solo album. But I did not request to gain wealth astatine that time."

Despite it all, Gary spent 30 months successful high-security jails earlier being released connected bail successful 1993, without charge. Twelve people, including Gary, were arrested successful transportation with the sidesplitting - but it remains unsolved.

Gary, present 62, returned to the UK successful 1995 aft being advised by officials successful the British Embassy successful Madrid to permission Spain. Then successful 2008, portion surviving extracurricular Manchester with his spouse Jayne, helium was issued with a European Arrest Warrant.

He fought extradition proceedings done the High Court, and Supreme Court, but mislaid and was flown backmost to Spain successful 2009. Gary says helium was moved from jailhouse to jailhouse passim the state for respective weeks earlier being granted £5,000 bail successful 2010.

He spent the adjacent six years connected bail earlier being told that nary enactment would beryllium taken against him. It took until December 2016 for him to get the £5,000 bail wealth back.

Owens has called for a nationalist enquiry into wherefore helium was wrongfully imprisoned and aims to writer British and Spanish authorities.

He claims others attempted to acceptable him up for the murder, which helium believes was linked to a drugs-related woody which went wrong. For his ain information helium was fixed the sanction ‘Charles Axon’ portion held successful custody successful Spain, helium says.

But astir a period earlier his archetypal arrest, Gary claims helium was warned astatine gunpoint by 3 men - who helium believes were the killers - to get retired of Sitio de Calahonda, a tiny municipality adjacent Marbella, successful the aftermath of Mr Heta’s murder.