Jailed Scot's anger at £5m bail

Kenny Richey was convicted in 1987 of an arson attack

An Edinburgh man due to be retried over the death of a two-year-old girl in the US has branded his $10m (£5m) bail as "ridiculous".

Kenny Richey, 43, was transferred from Ohio's Death Row to another county jail after judges overturned his arson and murder conviction two months ago.

But the Scot said he would rather be back on Death Row after claiming he has received death threats in his new jail.

No trial date has been set, but it is expected to take place early next year.

Here, all I get is threats from other inmates Kenny Richey

Richey would need to come up with 10% of the bail amount, $1m (£500,000), in order to be freed.

In a phone call from Putnam County Jail, Richey told The Columbus Dispatch: "I'd rather be back on Death Row now.

"In Mansfield [Correctional Institution], I had my friends. Here, all I get is threats from other inmates."

Richey told the newspaper the bail amount was "ridiculous".

He said: "Who did they think I was, Osama bin Laden?

"I've got a lot of supporters, but none that can come up with $10m."

The Scot said he was determined to clear his name of the murder charge.

"This is a matter of honour," he said.

Aggravated arson

Richey said he had turned down two deals offered in past years by prosecutors, one for a 10-year sentence and the second for a transfer to a Scottish prison.

Richey said he has not seen his mother Eileen, who lives in Dalry in Edinburgh, for many years.

He came within an hour of being executed 13 years ago.

Richey was convicted of starting an apartment fire in 1986 which killed two-year-old Cynthia in Columbus Grove in north-west Ohio.

He was sentenced to execution, but after a long legal fight, a federal appeals court threw out his conviction and death sentence in August.

Prosecutors plan to try Richey again on aggravated murder, aggravated arson and child endangering charges.