December 2020

One-legged paedo diamond thief on the run to Scotland ‘to get fake leg fixed’

A one-legged paedophile diamond thief wanted in the Caribbean has fled to Scotland after claiming he needed to get his false limb fixed.

Predator Colin Kristensen has refused to return to the billionaires’ playground of Sint Maarten where he was convicted of abusing a six-year-old girl and looting jewels as part of a corruption scandal that rocked the West Indian paradise island.

The 62-year-old expat is back on the streets of Glasgow claiming he needs to stay on for medical treatment. But authorities in the Dutch territory have now issued a warrant for his arrest and alerted Interpol in a bid to haul him back to face justice.

Police Scotland swooped to put him on the sex offenders’ register to limit the danger he poses to children here while extradition papers are prepared.

A source close to the case said: “His crimes prove just what a devious, dangerous and morally bankrupt individual Kristensen is. I’d imagine Scotland will be quite glad to get rid of him.

“Every time he is supposed to be back in Sint Maarten, another excuse is rolled out. The suspicion is he has no intention of ever returning and doing his time.

“The court gave Kristensen the benefit of the doubt in allowing him to leave for Scotland for medical treatment but patience has run out. If he won’t come back of his own accord, he’ll be dragged back kicking and screaming.”

Kristensen ran a yachting technology supply company called Advanced Marine Systems with bases in Florida and Sint Maarten – which is one half of a Caribbean isle split in two between France and Holland.Home to 40,000 people, it is a hotspot for the mega-rich.

In 2015, Kristensen received a suspended sentence for Tasering his ex-wife’s new boyfriend but further claims of child abuse were made and police began an investigation.

He started bribing senior cop Jerry Gerardus – an adviser to the isle’s prime minister – with money and holidays in return for information about the inquiries.

The bent officer also forged a document to try to put the paedophile in the clear. But their web of corruption began to unravel in the wake of Hurricane Irma in September 2017, which left a £2billion trail of devastation.

Police were tipped off that the day after the island was left in ruins, the pair had conspired to steal diamonds from the rubble of a jeweller’s shop. The haul turned out to be fake.

Gerardus – who subsequently received a three-year sentence – was busted in July 2018 and Kristensen was lifted days later.

The sex offender was jailed for seven years in February 2019 for abusing the girl, distributing child porn images of his victim and other
unidentified girls and fencing the faux jewels. He was also locked up for bribery and another Taser assault.

Kristensen denied the offences from 2015 to 2017 but admitted a further charge of possessing cocaine. He lodged an appeal but remained behind bars until December 2019 when jail doctors diagnosed him with a slipped disc, which had been made worse by his homemade false leg.

The predator was given a five-month free pass from jail to jet to Scotland for spinal surgery and a new false limb – but he failed to return. Police Scotland were alerted to the paedophile’s presence and won an order from Glasgow Sheriff Court in August, forcing him to join the sex offenders’ register.

He was granted a deadline extension till last month to return to jail in the Caribbean.But Sint Maarten courts ran out of patience at the latest hearing, via videolink, on December 11.

Kristensen’s appeal is due to be heard in April.

December 2020

Child rapist jailed