They urged Nat Fraser to finally reveal what happened to Arlene's body so they can say a proper goodbye.

And they admitted they would even accept a reduction in Fraser's 25 year jail term if he finally decided to do the decent thing.

However, her sister Carol Gillies admitted the prospect of Fraser, who was still protesting his innocence as he left the High Court, doing that is remote and they have to face the fact they may never find her remains.

The family faced the media again on Tuesday in the same Edinburgh hotel where, over five years earlier, they had welcomed Nat Fraser's murder conviction.

This time they applauded the appeal court judges' decision to reject Fraser's claims that he suffered a miscarriage of justice and send him back to prison.

Mrs Gillies said: "We feel sheer relief but I also feel quite numb. We have waited two years for this (appeal) result. At one point we didn't think he would go back to jail.

"I don't really feel anything for Nat. I don't feel hatred, I just see him as a source of information."

She admitted the last 10 years had been a living nightmare for all the family.

Arlene's parents, Hector McInnes and Isabelle Thompson are divorced but have remained very much together in their fight for justice.

"This is the end of an era," said Mrs Gillies. "Ten years is a long time to go through something like this. We would all like to quietly walk away in peace."

And Mrs Thompson, who lives in Hamilton, revealed her underlying sadness, despite see Fraser back behind bars.

"I feel I should be jumping for joy but I don't feel that. I just have disbelief that this has happened in the first place.

"Hopefully that will be the end of the legal side of things and there is no doubt the right man is behind bars."

Mr McInnes, who lives near Edinburgh, said he would gladly pay the original £20,000 reward himself and double it if someone came forward with information that would let him find his daughter.

"I am content that Mr Fraser is back behind bars. He has given us a life sentence and it is only fair he should have a life sentence."

However, Mr McInnes admitted he would happily trade off part of Fraser's punishment to find his daughter's remains.

"If he tells us where Arlene is we would accept a lesser sentence," he said.

Supported by members of Grampian Police, the family had earlier made what they hope will be the last walk up the Royal Mile to the High Court buildings they have become sadly familiar with in the last five years.

Their hope now is that attention can focus now on Arlene as they continue to grieve for her but also try to move on with their own lives.

Every year on the anniversary of her disappearance they have gathered as a family in Elgin to pay their own private respects to Arlene.

They had a memorial service for her in April 2003 following Fraser's conviction but they have never been able to give her a proper burial.

Mrs Gillies said her thoughts on Tuesday were not of Nat Fraser but of the sister she will never see again.

"Arlene was a down to earth person, easy going and someone who loved her children. I often wonder what she would have made of all of this," she said.

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

Bookmark this

---