A FORMER Poole man is nervously waiting in a Spanish jail to hear if he will be sent to the USA to stand trial for eight murders.

Builder Mark Merteith Ross has spent the last year in a Madrid prison and nine judges will decide on Thursday (November 11) if he is to be extradited to Florida, which still has the death penalty.

The 46-year-old claims he has been confused with Canadian citizen, Mark Monteith Ross and has appealed again for anyone from Poole who might know him to come forward.

His lawyer, Christian Mesia, is now preparing the final documents to give to the judges for Thursday.

He said: "Mr Ross is really afraid because he doesn't believe in the US system. He is frightened and angry.

"He has no wife and no children because he travels a lot and his parents are dead. We are looking for someone who knows him who can make a statement."

They would like someone to confirm who he is and vouch for his character. Even if the decision goes against Mr Ross on Thursday his lawyer still has a month-and-a-half to persuade the Minister of Justice in Spain to overrule it.

Mr Ross was arrested in September last year while working on a Spanish farm but claims the finger prints held in the USA do not match his.

He also says the tattoo on his right bicep is of a skull and the words Harley Davidson - the alleged murderer has the word Outlaw in the same place.

This is the second time he has spent a year in jail for the same crime - he was arrested in Holland in 1997 but not extradited because of a lack of evidence.

Mr Ross - who has lived all over the world, including Canada and the US - is accused of having links with the notorious Outlaws gang in Florida.

He was born in the Langnan ward of Poole Hospital on November 25 1957 to Graham Ross, a medical practitioner, and Jean, formerly Phillips who lived at Hambro House, Poole Hospital. Mr Ross spent his early childhood in the area.

His case has now been taken up by the respected pressure group Fair Trials Abroad (FTA).

Anyone who can help should call the FTA lawyer Sabine Zanker on 0845 4561791 or the Echo newsdesk on 01202 296502.

First published: November 6