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Hebrides News

Lewis man jailed for torture in Portugal               15/7/12

A islander who was a member of a large scale crime gang has been jailed for his involvement in the kidnap and assault of a fellow Scot in Portugal.

Lewis man Calum Macleod, 46, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He is one of four Brits jailed after the torture of James Ross of Wick, Caithness. They were convicted by a Portuguese court.

The men denied various charges of kidnap, assault and drug trafficking at a trial held in Loulé in March.

Ringleader Steven Johnson, 49, of Manchester, received 25 years imprisonment - the maximum penalty under Portuguese law. He had denied masterminding the attempted murder of Ross.

William Quinn  and Terrance McGurk, both from Coventry, were each jailed for eight years while Ronnie Rose got a two and a half year sentence.

The gang was involved in large scale drug trafficking in the Algrave. Police said they discovered two plantations with an annual estimated crop value of £3 million during the investigation.

James Ross, a 29-year-old father-of-two, was held against his will by the group for nearly a fortnight in 2010. He was lured to Portugal with the promise of work to pay  off a £9000 drugs debt but was abducted after landing at Faro airport.

For 13 days the gang allegedly kept Ross in a cage and mutilated him, using bolt cutters to hack off an ear, finger and two toes. His torturers burned his genitals with a cigarette lighter and crushed them in a metal clamp.

It is said he was beaten with a baseball bat and his hands were nailed to a slab of wood

They  plotted to murder him at a secluded reservoir at Santa Clara but he escaped when the car crashed on the way.

Northern Constabulary had instigated a joint operation with the Portuguese police over the case.

Detective Superintendent Kenny Anderson said: "We welcome the verdict in Portugal today and believe the sentence handed down reflects the severity of this crime.

"This was a protracted investigation which resulted in Mr Ross fortunately being found alive after a sustained ordeal.

"This case highlights that organised crime groups operate throughout the country, including rural communities. This should serve as a warning to anyone who may think about becoming involved in this type of crime."

He added: "I would like to pay tribute to the dedicated officers within the force and the Portuguese Police who worked tirelessly over a 13 day period to recover Mr Ross alive.

"This was a significant inquiry which saw a large number of officers deployed both here and in Portugal during the investigation.”