Paul Watson - France
June 04
Latest News
Paul has been allowed to go home for Christmas 2004. He has to return to France on 9 January 2005.
Paul Watson, a British national from Leeds, owned a haulage firm in the UK called ‘Principle Logistics’.
In September 2003 Paul received a telephone call from Mark, a former colleague and lorry driver, who ran a business in Spain. Mark had a truck for sale which was registered in the UK and offered it to Paul. Paul accepted. Mark told him that the lorry could be picked up the next day so Paul booked a flight to Valencia.
When he arrived, Mark asked Paul if he would take a loaded trailer with him and meet one of Mark’s drivers en route to San Sebastian. The two men had regularly helped each other out Paul agreed. According to the paperwork, the trailer contained 24 pallets of pottery weighing 6 tonnes. Paul set off the next day.
En route to San Sebastian, Paul received a telephone call from Mark saying that his driver had been delayed and would Paul mind driving the trailer to Bordeaux, France. He offered to pay for Paul’s ferry home to compensate him for the inconvenience. Mark phoned him with another change of plan – the trailer was now to be taken to Gent, Belgium. Paul was getting increasingly annoyed but again had no choice but to continue.
Paul was stopped and searched by French Customs who found a ton of cannabis in Marks’ load. Paul was thrown to the ground, handcuffed and arrested. He was then subjected to 2½ days of interrogations. At every stage he complied with the authorities and provided them with supporting documentation and records.
Just after Paul’s arrest, Mark claimed to have been held hostage by an armed gang. He apparently escaped and entered a bank in Liverpool, setting the alarms off in order to gain police attention and protection. He was held in protective custody and in a police video interview, he states that Paul was totally unaware of the cannabis and was simply towing it as a favour to him. Mark disappeared in October 2003.
Fair Trial Issues
- Paul was not given access to legal representation when initially questioned by Customs and French police.
- He was not informed of his legal rights.
- He was asked to sign documents in a language he did not understand
- At his “four month remand hearing” the magistrate and the prosecution could not decide what to charge Paul with.
- The same uncertainty remained at the “8 month remand hearing”. Paul has still not been charged.
- Bail has been refused on several occasions, even though Paul is willing to adhere to all any conditions.
The British authorities have recently discovered more evidence which completely exonerates Paul from any involvement in the illegal drugs trade. We hope that this will be taken into consideration by the French authorities.
What you can do to help
- Write to Paul: Mr. Paul Anthony Watson, Ecrou 6667, Maison d’Arret d’Arras, 12 rue des Carabiniers d’Artois, BP 915, 62022 Arras Cedex, France
- Write to Colin Challen, MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA, who is strongly supporting Paul and his family.
- Write to David Bowe MEP, 2 Blenheim Terrace, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 9JG, who is raising Paul’s case at every available opportunity.
- Raise awareness about the risks which law abiding lorry drivers face. By the very nature of their work, as they frequently cross national borders, they are often used by criminals to hide illegal substances in their cargo. If you or a member of your family is in the haulage business, you could write to the editors of your local and national newspapers.