The wife of an Aberdeenshire grandfather trapped in Dubai worries she may never be able see him again.
Ian Mackellar, from Newtonhill, is being held in the United Arab Emirates after a row with neighbours resulted in him being accused of trespassing.
He faces two years in prison, and is not allowed to return home while an investigation takes place.
The 74-year-old complained about New Year’s Eve party noise which made it impossible for his daughter and granddaughter to sleep.
He was then reported to the police by the neighbours after taking a side-path to confront them, and is now subjected to a travel ban.
Speaking to the P&J, his wife Carol, 75, told us how she worries that she may never see him again.
The 75-year-old said that he has now ran out of vital medicine he needs for his heart condition.
‘I may not see him again’
She said: “I spoke to him earlier today and he is just bereft, he’s worried about the entire thing.
“He doesn’t want to get forgotten about and we just want to get the poor man home.
“If he’s found guilty, he will be imprisoned for at least two years. He’s 75 in two weeks – he won’t survive that.
“Ian’s got a heart condition and various other medical issues and it means I could possibly never see him again.”
“He was due back on January 10 and obviously he only took the medication that he needed.
“But now he has run out.
“There are some medications that they do not have in the UAE, so we are not sure what we can do.”
Carol missing devoted husband and father
Being married since 1975, Carol says that the hole that Ian has left behind at home has been unmistakeable.
Hardly going a day without each other for 49 years, the current situation has left her unable to sleep or eat.
Originally from Glasgow, Ian met Aberdonian Carol while training to be a teacher in the Granite City before marrying in ’75 and moving into Holburn Street.
However, after two sons and a daughter, they eventually moved into Newtonhill near Stonehaven in 1980 together and have lived there ever since.
“Ian is a devoted husband and father. He loves his family,” she continued.
“We’ve been married now for 49 years and we’ve never really been apart, not like this.
“So this is a really difficult for me, as well as my health issues. I rely a lot on him. He relies a lot on me.
“It’s been really hard because I haven’t been sleeping at the moment and obviously, I have to watch out for my own health because I can’t get too stressed.
“I’m struggling to eat, I feel sick all the time in the pit of my stomach.
“And, his birthday is due on February 11 and we normally have a small family celebration.
“But, it’s breaking my heart and I’m not going to be there with him.”