Kenny Richey faces death by lethal injection

A Scottish man who has spent 16 years on death row in the United States has said he would rather die than admit guilt.

Kenny Richey, 38, from Edinburgh, is due to face an appeal court on Wednesday in an attempt to avoid execution.

He was convicted in 1987 of an arson attack on an apartment block in an Ohio town that killed two-year-old Cynthia Collins.

Richey has always denied the charge and on Tuesday, from his Ohio jail cell, he said he was prepared to die for what he believed in.

If he loses, he is expected to die by lethal injection later this year.

Richey said: "Whether they kill me or set me free, I just want it to be over."

I want a fair trial, and I'm not going to give up until I get it or they kill me Kenny Richey

He has twice refused a plea bargain that would have spared his life if he confessed to the crime.

He said: "I want the opportunity to prove my innocence. I want a fair trial, and I'm not going to give up until I get it or they kill me.

"I'm prepared to die for what I believe in. It's one or the other. There's no in-between for me."

'Bitter individual'

Richey said even if he is eventually freed he will never be able to forgive the way he has been treated.

He said: "You won't find another individual anywhere more bitter than I am. They've taken nearly 17 years of my life, time I could have spent with my family and friends.

"I've gone from a 21-year-old kid to a 38-year old man in here."

Human Rights group Amnesty International has called it "the most compelling case of innocence on death row".

Richey's appeal for a retrial has been backed by the Pope, Dr George Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, and actress Susan Sarandon, who won an Oscar for her role in the anti-capital punishment film Dead Man Walking.

Engagement

The Free Kenny Ritchie campaign has been led by Karen Torley, 37, from Cambuslang, Glasgow, who started writing to him eight years ago after learning about his case.

He said: "She's an extraordinary woman. Without her I would probably be dead by now."

Susan Sarandon has voiced support for Richey

Ohio authorities have previously set a date for Richey's execution 13 times.

Nine years ago he escaped the electric chair by one hour after a last-minute reprieve.

His head and legs had already been shaved in preparation for the electrodes and he had said goodbye to his mother in Edinburgh.

Richey's case will be heard by the sixth Circuit Federal Court of Appeal in Cincinnati, the second highest court in the US.

The panel of three judges are not expected to announce their verdict for several months.

If he loses, the only option left would be an appeal to the Supreme Court but legal experts warn this tactic is unlikely to be successful.