A Nigerian policeman has been cleared of killing an Aberdeenshire oil worker who was shot in the African country five years ago.
David Gillan was fatally wounded in November 2001 while travelling with his wife, Diane, after a night out.
The Foreign Office confirmed a judge had dismissed the case on 14 July, claiming he needed stronger evidence to link the killing to Timothy Alayade.
Mr Gillan’s wife was understood to be shocked at the decision.
Diane Gillan is now living back in Turiff, Aberdeenshire.
The couple had lived in Port Harcourt for five years with their two children Connor and Kayleigh, who were eight and seven at the time.
Single wound
Mr Gillan was being chauffeur driven to his family home in an oil worker’s compound when he was shot.
He died from a single gunshot wound from a bullet that went through the car’s tail light and back seat before hitting him in the back.
It was three years before the case was eventually brought to trial and it has been repeatedly delayed ever since.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “The judge read out a long ruling on the case and said the court had not presented enough evidence against the accused.”