Man in court to be quizzed over missing Scots girlfriend

Lisa Brown is originally from Alexandria, Dunbartonshire. Picture: Contributed

British-born Simon Corner appeared in court yesterday to face questions over his missing Scottish girlfriend Lisa Brown.

The 33-year-old boat owner was flanked by three Civil Guard officers as he arrived at the courthouse in San Roque near Gibraltar a short drive from expat Ms Brown’s home.

He was driven to the building from a local prison around 10.30am local time yesterday for the private hearing in front of an investigating judge.

Liverpool-born Corner who was extradited to Spain on Tuesday from Denmark where he was arrested, said nothing as he was led into court. He was handcuffed and wore jeans and a T-shirt.

The court he appeared in was the same one that made him a wanted man by issuing a European arrest warrant for him at the end of March.

Guardia Civil investigators applied for the warrant after Corner vanished when Ms Brown disappeared on 4 November last year. He then returned to Spain in January from the Far East and failed to honour a promise to meet police for questioning before leaving the country again.

Sources close to the investigation said the warrant was issued for homicide because “there was sufficient evidence pointing to Ms Brown having been killed.”

Guardia Civil investigators fear her body may been dumped in the Mediterranean.

Corner was born Dean Woods but later changed his name.

One of Ms Brown’s neighbours claimed in January 
that vandals had targeted the expat’s car in the months leading up to her disappearance, slashing her tyres on two occasions and scratching the initials DW, which correspond with Corner’s birth name, on the vehicle second time round.

Corner vanished hours after being questioned by Civil Guard officers as a witness when Lisa, originally from Alexandria, Dunbartonshire, went missing.

He returned to Spain briefly on 19 January.

It emerged earlier this week that Corner flew to the Canaries after returning to Spain briefly from Cambodia, before moving on first to Ireland and then Denmark. He was arrested in the capital, Copenhagen.

He has not yet been formally charged with any crime, as is normal in Spain where charges are usually laid shortly before trial.

Ms Brown’s nine-year-old son has been looked after by his father at his home in La Linea opposite Gibraltar with the help of Lisa’s relatives since she disappeared.

An unnamed Briton arrested on suspicion of obstruction of justice in relation to the case also appeared in court yesterday alongside Corner.