Death row Scot set to fly home

Kenny Richey will head back to the UK today after spending more than 20 years on America's death row.

The 43-year-old from Edinburgh, who reached a plea deal with prosecutors over an arson attack in which a two-year-old girl died, walked free from jail in Putnam County, Ohio yesterday.

Mr Richey thanked all those who "never doubted my innocence" and said he was looking forward to "going home to Scotland".

After spending the night at the home of his brother Steven, he is expected to leave Dayton, Ohio, this afternoon on a flight to Chicago before flying first to Heathrow, London, and then on to Edinburgh tomorrow afternoon.

Richey was convicted in 1987 of an arson attack on an apartment block in an Ohio town in which Cynthia Collins, two, died but in August last year the sentence was overturned.

Yesterday, he pleaded no contest to charges of attempted involuntary manslaughter, child endangering and breaking and entering at the Putnam County Common Pleas Court in Ottawa, Ohio.

He was sentenced to a total of 21 years - time he has already served.

Richey was released from the Putnam County jail wearing a blue, yellow and green Scottish cap called a glengarry and told reporters: "It's been a long time coming."

His first meal as a free man was a steak lunch at an Applebee's restaurant in Putnam County, Ohio.

His lawyer, Ken Parsigian, said: "He's told me that for 15 years that when he gets out that's what he's going to get."

Earlier, clean-shaven Richey, wearing black shirt and trousers with a blue tie, appeared in court with his arms and ankles shackled for the 40-minute hearing which secured his freedom.

He spoke in his broad Scottish accent several times, but only to confirm to Judge Alan Travis that he understood the proceedings and the terms of his plea deal.

Asked if he had anything to say to the court, Richey said: "I'm fine."

Looking pale, Richey, who has served 21 years, six months and seven days in jail, sat with his hands clasped together in front of him, often fidgeting with his handcuffs and repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fist.

The judge told him that although his plea was not an admission of guilt, it would lead to him being found guilty by the court.

Richey faced an angry reaction to his plea deal from relatives of the baby girl.

In court, Cynthia's aunt told him to "burn in hell".

Valerie Binklay said she had a six-page victim-impact statement to read out, but broke down in tears amid an emotional outburst.

Ms Binklay said: "How do you go about putting into words what a two-year-old means?"

Turning and pointing to Richey, less than 10ft away, Ms Binklay said: "But I want you to know you've fooled nobody no more. Nobody.

"You will burn in hell."

She returned to her seat and sat down as a sheriff's deputy moved to the centre of the court.

The judge heard that Cynthia's father Robert could not face being in court, but had prepared a statement which was read out.

He said the situation had "haunted" him for 21 years and consumed his thoughts.

"The unthinkable reality of her choking, crawling, crying and her little lungs filling with smoke has been etched in my mind since her death," he said.

"It's an ongoing nightmare."

He went on: "I have a hard time coming to an understanding that I must accept what has happened to Cynthia when the level of crime that was committed against her was so horrific, ending the life of a two-year-old.

"I will never have closure now that the outcome has changed.

"It will continue to haunt me the rest of my life.

"I just wish Cynthia could appeal her death, and come back to life."

Karen Torley, Richey's former fiancee and long-time campaigner for his release, said she did not feel justice had been done.

"I don't know. I am happy that he has been freed but it's a weird feeling because it wasn't the way I wanted it to be but I am happy for him," she said.

"They (the authorities) were never going to admit they got the whole thing wrong. Kenny Richey served 21 years for pleading no contest so I'm angry about that.

"Kenny looked really smart, that's the first time I've seen him in proper clothes but I think he looked very, very pale and very stressed."

Ms Torley added it would have been hard for Richey to resist saying anything as the victim's relatives spoke in court.

"The state dropped the charges and Kenny did not kill that girl," she said.

Speaking about how she thought Richey would cope with life in Scotland after 21 years in prison, Ms Torley said: "He's going to find it hard to cope I think, to adjust to all the different things.

"He's been in prison half of his life and now he's going to come home and try to make choices and try to live a normal life and I think he's going to find that really hard once the excitement of being free is over.

"He's probably feeling pretty numb right now and I know he's angry because I know he didn't want to do this.

"Justice has not been done in this case. If justice had been done they would have had their trial and the state would not have messed about for 21 years and then suddenly dropped the charges, they knew they would never win on that."

Richey, who left his mother's home in Edinburgh at 18 to live with his American father in Ohio, will now have to adjust to life as a free man after more than 20 years behind bars.