North drugs arrest trucker is freed May 4 2004
By Matt Casey, The Evening Chronicle
Trucker John Vasey was finally freed today after more than a year in a French jail accused of smuggling £2.5m of drugs.
He has protested his innocence since his arrest, 14 months ago, and claims he was a fall guy for drug barons.
Today his overjoyed family were making arrangements to fly him home after his trial yesterday.
French judges ruled he could be released after paying £3,200 as a bail bond or fine.
Details of his release were given in a phone call from his mother, Mary, to his father, Ken, last night.
Emotional Mr Vasey senior said: "The message was a bit garbled as Mary was so excited but the main thing is John is coming out of prison.
"Mary did mention a bail bond. I’m still not sure if the judges found him guilty, or if bond is something like a fine. But under French law they probably had no alternative than to find him guilty.
"Mary is arranging to get the money to the prison today and if all goes well, John could fly home tomorrow with his mother.
"John has lost his business and two lorries since this all started.
“We have always known he was innocent and we’re all over the moon that he’s being freed at last.”
Mr Vasey, 43, of Lambton Village, Washington, was arrested in March last year after a huge haul of cannabis was found in sealed containers of cargo he had collected in Barcelona.
As well as his family and friends, he has been backed by fellow lorry drivers who say he had no idea what was hidden in the load.
The family hired Newcastle lawyer Clive McKeag to help the campaign to free him.
Mr McKeag feared despite Mr Vasey’s claims of innocence, he would still be found guilty of drug smuggling because of European law.
Mr McKeag, who was taken on by Mr Vasey’s parents to help a French advocate representing their son, said: "I’ve read all the documents and statements and firmly believe he was duped and was the fall guy in the operation.
"It was by chance that he was driving the load as the original driver called in to say his mother was ill and Mr Vasey had to take his place.
"He was told he was picking up a consignment of ceramics. The consignment was on shrink-wrapped pallets tied with special tape put on by machine.
"He wouldn’t have been able to check to see what was in it because if he tampered with it by opening it, the consignment would not have been accepted at its destination.
"Because of a recent European law, the driver has sole responsibility for the contents of the consignment.
“Even if the judges accept Mr Vasey’s version their hands will be tied by the ruling.”
Mr Vasey was arrested on his mother’s 68th birthday. Last month she celebrated her 69th birthday with a renewed belief that her son was innocent and would eventually be freed.
sorce icnewcastle.co.uk
