Mother's plea to missing woman's ex boyfriend from Stoke-On-Trent

Sep 5 2008

THE mother of a woman missing in Dubai has pleaded with her Stoke-on-Trent ex-boyfriend to tell her if he killed her.

Mark Arnold, 42, is being questioned by police in the Gulf state about the whereabouts of Kerry Winter, who has been missing for more than two weeks.

Her family, from South Africa, claims he has admitted beating the 35-year-old up and leaving her in the desert.

Officers allowed family members to question Mr Arnold, who they say told them she was alive and well when he left her on August 20.

Ms Winter's mother, Carol Winter, was permitted to question Mr Arnold over the phone from her home in Johannesburg.

She has visited Dubai five times, and has met Mr Arnold several times.

Lia Winter, Kerry's sister-in-law, said: "All he kept telling her was that he was sorry and things got out of hand.

"Carol said 'Mark, please just tell me did you kill her? Where is she?'

"He just replied 'I'm not a killer, I'm not a killer.' He said he wished he knew where she was."

She said Carol Winter, 60, who had a quadruple bypass two years ago, is on heart medication and the family is extremely concerned for her health.