Welsh Guards Escape Jail in Lanzarote
There was much talk on the Island some time ago about the six Welsh Guards who damaged a venue and attacked staff and customers at La Vaca Loca in Costa Teguise, Lanzarote. Today they escaped jail, and are to be flown back to the UK tomorrow after spending tonight in a hotel under police guard.
The soldiers beat up staff and customers at an Argentinian restaurant in Lanzarote in February. However, they escaped jail today after entering last-minute guilty pleas. They had been held since February in tahiche prison, in Lanzarote.
Christopher Faulkner, Darren Meek, Thomas Lawrence, Steven Parry, Carl Tyers and Craig Jones all admitted charges of assault and criminal damage after events that left four people needing hospital treatment. Staff were attacked, and customers were left extremely frightened by the incident… which invloved tables and chairs being hurled, and property damaged.
They were all given a prison sentence of 11 months today. However, they were treated according to the law in Spain, which means first time offenders do not usually have to serve time. Their time held in Tahiche was also taken into consideration.
Carl Tyers and Darren Meek also admitted an additional charge of assaulting a police officer and were handed prison sentences totalling a year and a half.
But all six men, who were remanded in custody as they awaited trial, were told they will not have to return to jail unless they reoffend as prison sentences of two years or less in Spain are suspended for first-time offenders.
The men will have to pay heavy fines and compensation to their victims for the injuries they suffered and the damage to their property… a bill which is expected to reach around £25,000. Their future in the Armed Forces is also unclear at this time.
The Welsh Guards, said at the time to have been in Lanzarote on a training exercise, went beserk when two were asked to leave the restaurant after walking in and trying to steal a bottle of wine.
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9 Responses to Welsh Guards Escape Jail in Lanzarote
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Spot on with the goldfish bowl syndrome, Alan.
Max Clifford? Hope not, you might get invaded by Kerry and family (the young lady out the Iceland adds) and turn it into a drunken, double donner Kebab eating tourist attraction. Then La Voz will print “They came to swill”. That`s when Keith should be worried. – LOL.
The bottom line with this one is that they were treated in accordance with the local laws – which is absolutely right and proper.
Lets face it, sentencing in the UK is hardly perfect. And the media coverage has been ‘reactionary’ to say the least. La Voz carried the headline at the time “They came to kill”, the Lanzarote gossips have had a field day trying to get together a lynch mob and a CT resident said to me “He must have Max Clifford handling his PR” in reference to the bar owner – who apparently milked it for what it was worth. Have we ever heard their side of the story anywhere. There’s always two sides.
The whole reaction to this is absurd. I used to be a nightclub doorman in my younger days and dealt with this every Friday and Saturday night, and it goes on every weekend in every British city. The fact of the matter is that being such a small sleepy island this became big news – had it happened in Cardiff nobody would have batted an eyelid.
I don’t know for sure, but the chances are these guys may well be getting treated to a stretch in Colchester, which is far more unpleasant an experience than doing time in Tahiche.
They were wrong, they’ve been punished in accordance with the law, probably now getting punished under military law. I don’t get why people are still harping on about it. Time to move on from this one.
Huh? Why? What was you expecting? Three, four, five years? They only get four for underage murder in Tenerife. Considering it is home. I am suprised folk don`t understand or know the laws of their country!
Violant criminals coming? I thought they was drunk British servicemen let out amongst the public whilst on a training exercise, getting them pumped up for Afghanistan?
Yes, Lanzarote is surely a great place to come to if your a violent criminal.
After the publicity from this case, sit back and see the crime rate rise
I think 4 months inside and a 4.16k fine each is enough. I don`t actually see how they have got let off Ange?
In the U.K. That is the same as an 8 month custodial and tagged for four, months plus a 4.16K fine. Which I certainly don`t think they would have got. So I see it as a stiff convinction, but a fair one. What more do folk want? Blood!
A lenient sentence to be sure, Ange. The Spanish system is what is more lax than the British system in this case. (Saying that – they are a lot heavier on sex offenders and paedophiles – which is just fine by me).
However – at least they were treated as all others in this country would have been treated, rather than differently bcause of who they were. Their big punishment must surely be going through as we speak… from the Forces themselves.
Elle xx
Well lets all go out and commit an offence and u get let off if its your first time. What a load of bo..ocks….
I would say the sentence and the compensation is a fair outcome for all. 4k each. That should be able to buy some more wicker chairs. Pretty lenient in Spain hey? Anything up to two years and it is suspended. I wonder how the lynch mobs feel?
cant wait to have our boys home!!