Timeline: The Arlene Fraser murder case

NAT Fraser has been found guilty, for a second time, of murdering his estranged wife Arlene. Here is a timeline of the key dates in the long-running case.

28 April 1998

Arlene Fraser last seen waving her children off to school in New Elgin.

27 October 1998

Detective Chief Inspector Peter Simpson says he believes she is dead.

28 April 1999

Arlene Fraser’s family mark the anniversary of her disappearance with a new appeal for information.

1 October 1999

Crown Office confirms that an indictment has been served on Arlene Fraser’s husband Nat.

12 November 1999

Nat Fraser appears at the High Court in Aberdeen charged with assaulting and attempting to murder his wife.

9 February 2000

Nat Fraser admits a reduced charge of assault by compressing his wife Arlene’s neck to the danger of her life. The victim’s family voice their disappointment.

1 March 2000

Nat Fraser jailed for 18 months for assaulting Arlene at the High Court in Edinburgh.

2 April 2001

Nat Fraser jailed again for 12 months after admitting legal aid fraud.

26 April 2002

Nat Fraser, along with friend Hector Dick and English businessman Glenn Lucas, indicted for the murder of Arlene Fraser. They are all charged with conspiring to murder Mrs Fraser, murdering her and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

January 2003

The trial of the three men begins. During the trial, the court hears that Arlene Fraser’s wedding, engagement and eternity rings turned up in her bathroom more than a week after she disappeared. Hector Dick denies murder and alleges that Nat Fraser hired a hitman to kill his wife. It also emerges that Arlene Fraser was due to see a solicitor about a divorce on the day she disappeared.

14 January 2003

Charges against Hector Dick and Glenn Lucas dropped.

28 January 2003

Nat Fraser has three charges of attempting to defeat the ends of justice against him dropped.

29 January 2003

Nat Fraser found guilty of murdering his wife.

19 December 2003

Nat Fraser lodges an appeal against his murder conviction.

6 May 2005

Nat Fraser allowed to appeal against his conviction.

12 May 2006

Nat Fraser freed from prison pending an appeal.

November 2007

Nat Fraser’s appeal begins. Court hears that evidence withheld by prosecutors undermines the guilty verdict. The appeal also hears allegations that police lied to prosecutors, and that a search of the house was not thorough enough.

6 May 2008

Nat Fraser loses his appeal against a life jail sentence for killing his wife Arlene.

24 March 2009

Court of Criminal Appeal judges refuse Nat Fraser’s bid to appeal to the Privy Council in London.

31 May 2010

Nat Fraser plans to challenge his conviction at the Supreme Court in London.

25 May 2011

Nat Fraser wins his appeal to have his conviction quashed.

23 April 2012

Nat Fraser goes on trial again charged with his wife’s murder.

30 May 2012

Nat Fraser found guilty for the second time of his wife’s murder.