Freedom hope for Saudi nurses

THE TWO British nurses accused of murdering a colleague in Saudi Arabia will not be flogged and could be home by the millennium, writes Steve Boggan.

Threats of the death penalty will be formally lifted today when lawyers for the victim's brother, Frank Gilford, will waive his right to demand the women's execution before a court in Al-Khobar.

That will pave the way for the Saudi courts to pass a lenient sentence on Deborah Parry and to reduce Lucille McLauchlan's eight-year sentence to "below four", according to informed sources. Another source said it was "inconceivable" that either would face a public flogging.

The developments come following weeks of apparent deadlock after Mr Gilford agreed to accept pounds 730,000"blood money" in return for waiving his right to demand the death penalty over the murder of his sister, Yvonne, 55. She was battered, stabbed and suffocated in her room at the King Fahd Military Medical Centre last December.

Lawyers for Mr Gilford said they would lodge the waiver with the court today.