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1984 - 2012
The Canary Islands’ biggest fortnightly English newspaper read by thousands of tourists & residents Edition # 683 / 30th November - 13th December 2012 / 1.80€ at Newsagents / www.islandconnections.eu Latest News >>
British Consulate
Merger man
F
or the second time in just under six years, the arrival of Steve Jones in the Canaries has signified major changes in the British Consulates here. His return ushers in a merger, with the post of Consul in the Canaries now combined with Jones’ existing post as Consul for Andalusia, based in Malaga. The restructuring by the British Embassy in Madrid, and the manner in which it has been implemented, have not been received well here, nor in the Balearics where the post of Island based Consul has also disappeared. Within hours of Steve’s official appointment, the Embassy contacted Island Connections - the first publication in Spain to disclose details of the impending changes- offering the chance to speak with him about the controversial decision. Read our exclusive interview on page 3.
Murder trial
Irish couple court case By Karl McLaughlin
O
nce again, Tenerife holds a murder trial involving foreign defendants. Irishman Keith Burke, 21, was in the dock accused of murdering a local ferry company employee, Abraham Báez, during a vicious fight in Playa de Las Américas on April 30, 2010. According to the prosecution, Burke stabbed Báez in the left side of the neck, severing an artery and killing him almost instantly. His girlfriend, Sara Stuart, 30, was also accused of wounding a young Tenerife woman, Laura Negrín, who was with Báez. The court in Santa Cruz heard that the fight was triggered by an apparently
petty confrontation when the Tenerife pair inadvertently struck the passing Irish couple as they opened the door of their parked car. Burke and Stuart, who had been in Tenerife for several weeks looking for work, admitted they had been ‘drinking very heavily’ the night
of the incident and were on their way home to the Caribe complex when the incident took place. In his opening statement to the jury, Burke retracted confessions made earlier to police and insisted he had been coerced into admitting to killing Báez. ‘They hit me with
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batons and refused me water while I was in the station. I was told I would get four years at most if I confessed and Sara would be set free.’ Relatives and friends of the victim’s family donned Tshirts with Báez’s face and hung a banner outside the courtroom calling for justice for the 24-year-old. They were ordered by the judge to remain silent when they reacted angrily to Burke’s version that he had ‘acted in self-defence’ after being subjected to an ‘unprovoked attack by Báez’. Burke also admitted to carrying a knife on the night in question because ‘Las Américas was not safe’. However, he swore it had ‘not left his pocket at any time’. In addition to his confession to police, Burke had also said, in letters to Stuart while both were on remand, that he ‘deserved to be jailed’ for killing Báez. However, in court he said he had written the comments to exonerate his then girlfriend because he feared she might commit suicide in prison. ‘I was an 18 year old in love and wanted to get her out’ he told the jury. The trial continued as Island Connections went to press.
Clean energy >
Organic produce
Saving the agricultural sector
Pages 10 &14
Water hero >
Get crafty
for Christmas
Pages 46 &47
property >
Home Improvements Attracting a property buyer
Pages 20 &38
Vines and Wines >
Introducing Ana Ruiloba
Tantalising tastes Page 42
Dr Margarita Caliz
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