Married without a care in the world

A YEAR after it was revealed Auld had tied the knot, his young wife is now a widow.

Auld and fiancee Portia Doble, 32, exchanged vows in the sunshine at Tregenna Castle, near St Ives, Cornwall.

Our sister paper the Sunday Mail revealed the open-air ceremony took place as detectives were investigating fresh claims that he killed Amanda.

Despite the fact that Scottish police and prosecutors were trying to put him back in the dock on a murder charge, Auld, then 43, could not have looked more relaxed.

There was no expense spared at the ceremony, which was conducted by a member of staff at the castle.

Weddings at the plush 72-acre estate can cost more than £4000 for a party of 50 adults.

The Crown Office had hoped to force Auld back into the dock after statements from several new witnesses.

But their bid to use double jeopardy laws collapsed – much to the dismay of Amanda’s parents Joe and Kate.

Family members spoke of their distress at the chief suspect being free to marry.

One said: “Francis Auld is getting on with his life and appears to think everything in the garden is rosy by getting married. “But it’s not the same for our family because they’ve never received any form of justice for Amanda.

“They did prove Auld was responsible for her death in a civil action.

“After all this time and despite everything that’s been said, it’s galling that Auld can walk about as though nothing has ever happened.”

Auld and Portia moved out of their house in Nottingham in February last year and former neighbours described their relationship as stormy.

One woman, who did not wish to be named, said: “They would sometimes argue and had a couple of belters.”