Conor Howard: Scot held in Greek jail over joke gift free to fly home

A Scottish engineer who faced a year in a Qatari jail over a drugs charge has been told he can fly home from Greece.

Conor Howard was detained at Corfu airport in August on his way to visit his parents in their holiday home.

He had been questioned and released in Qatar last October when authorities found a herb grinder in his luggage.

The 27-year-old, from Tranent, East Lothian, was granted bail by the Greek authorities and has now been cleared to return to Scotland.

He has been told that an international arrest warrant has been lifted and cancelled.

Speaking from Corfu, Mr Howard said he had been "a nervous wreck" waiting for the court ruling.

'The end of it'

He said: "I'm totally delighted - it's a strange feeling but amazing at the same time.

"I was scared of the outcome because you never know what's going to happen.

"Even though I've been out of prison, it's felt like being in prison because I couldn't leave. Now I'm just really relieved."

Mr Howard now plans to fly home on Saturday for a reunion with his girlfriend and "a return to some kind of normality".

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His problems began when a grinder that can potentially be used to grind cannabis leaves was found in his luggage during a stopover in Qatar in October.

He was unaware he was later convicted in his absence, and an international arrest warrant issued.

Mr Howard spent nearly a month in a Greek jail before being released on conditional bail in September.

His stepfather Robert Young said confirmation of the the Greek court decision was "overwhelming".

'Nightmare for family'

He said: "The Greeks had requested more evidence from Qatar, and Qatar sent what they said was more evidence.

"But it turned out it was exactly the same information that they had sent in the first place.

"The court said to Conor, you're free to go, that's it.

"It's been quite an overwhelming day. It's a massive relief. We all want to get home."

Conor Howard was on his way to visit his stepfather and mother when he was arrested in Greece

SNP MSP Kenny MacAskill had written to Qatar's London embassy over the case.

He said: "The embassy has told me that the Qatar public prosecutor's office has cancelled the international arrest warrant.

"I think that'll be the end of it. They won't want any more flak.

"I'm delighted. What a nightmare for the family. The whole thing has been Kafkaesque."