Birmingham market trader reveals his Cyprus jail hell

Aug 29 2010 by Christina Savvas, Sunday Mercury

A MARKET trader has revealed how he endured eight months of hell in a Cypriot prison after being wrongly accused of a fake currency scam.

Birmingham stallholder Carl Redden, 25, and girlfriend Suzanne Wilson had been enjoying a romantic break on the sun-kissed isle.

But the trip turned into a nightmare when they were arrested for using a fake 50 Euro note, hours after the fruit and veg trader had proposed to his sweetheart.

Carl tried to explain their innocence to police by revealing his gran must have unwittingly passed the counterfeit note to him after being conned into buying it in Birmingham.

He says he was pressured into pleading guilty so charges would be dropped against his pregnant girlfriend.

"The whole thing has been complete hell for me, my girlfriend and our families", said Carl, who was released from jail days ago.

"I've spent eight months locked up in jail in a foreign country away from my family for something I didnt do.

"A holiday with my girlfriend turned into eight months in a massively overpopulated jail in Cyprus in 120 degree heat."

The couple were staying in an all-inclusive hotel in the resort of Paphos last July when they were arrested.

The day beforehand, Carl had gone to a nearby kiosk to buy cigarettes, a newspaper and water. On the following day he returned and was accused of passing a fake Euro note.

He said: "I went back to the same shop to get fags and a newspaper. I gave the man the note and he said: Its fake and he called the police.

"I waited 20 minutes for them to come, although part of me thought I would be better leaving. But I wasnt guilty, and running would make them think I was.