Cops reveal cost of Ibiza extradition

Police had to fork out almost £2000 tracking down a Doune man who skipped a court appearance to go to Spain, it has been revealed.

The Observer reported last month how Alexander McKinlay succeeded in having his prison sentence cut after he was jailed because he went to Ibiza rather than attend a court hearing on a rape allegation.

McKinlay, 32, was sentenced to three years’ jail for missing court moments after being acquitted of attacking a 19-year-old girl in November, 2016, in Doune.

Lord Uist imposed the sentence on McKinlay at the High Court in Edinburgh in July 2019.

McKinlay was supposed to appear at the High Court in August 2018 for a procedural hearing into the rape allegation. But the labourer chose to ignore the proceedings and went instead to the popular holiday island of Ibiza.

Scottish police launched an international manhunt and they located McKinlay living it up on the Spanish island.

Following a Freedom of Information request by the Observer to Police Scotland, it has be revealed that the cost of extraditing him to Scotland by police officers cost the taxpayer £1991.83.

That figure does not include the cost of officer overtime.

Following sentencing, lawyers acting for McKinlay went to the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh to argue that their client’s sentence – for missing the court date – was excessive and should be cut.

Scotland’s most senior judge, the Lord Justice General, Lord Carloway agreed with the submissions made by McKinlay’s lawyers.

In the judgement, Lord Carloway – who sat with his colleagues Lord Menzies and Lord Turnbull – reduced McKinlay’s sentence to 18 months.

During proceedings regarding the sex attack earlier this year, McKinlay denied any wrongdoing.

Jurors acquitted him of rape but convicted him on a separate charge of failing to appear in court for a procedural hearing.

Police Scotland say officers were diverted from vital fighting duties at home in order to get on a plane and fly to Ibiza so they could bring McKinlay back to face justice in his home country.