Fisherman Philip Halliday adjusting to life after Spanish prison

Philip Halliday is adjusting to life back at home in Digby, N.S. after having spent three years in a Spanish prison. (CTV Atlantic)

Six months have passed since Philip Halliday was released from a Spanish prison.

The fisherman from Digby, N.S. says he is still adjusting to life at home and is getting stronger every day, but it hasn’t been easy.

“My nerves bother me once in a while but I guess that’s to be expected,” he says.

In December 2009, Halliday was arrested off the coast of Spain after $600 million worth of drugs was discovered in the hull of a ship he was crewing.

For more than three years, the 56-year-old fisherman ate and slept next to child molesters and murderers in a Spanish prison.

Halliday was convicted of importing cocaine back in February but, despite his conviction, he was released from jail and reunited with his family in Digby.

He has always maintained his innocence and says most of the people in his community believe his story and have been supportive.

“Everybody around here has been so great to me. I get hugs everywhere I go.”

Halliday says he has even been stopped by strangers while out shopping with his wife in Halifax.

“Sheree had just said to me ‘do you suppose anyone knows who we are?’ and we walked around the aisle in Costco and this woman came running over and she told us she watched the story right along.”

Halliday is also learning how much can change in the world in three years.

He says he was shocked to see how popular iPhones had become, had never heard of a Keurig and, when he left home, credit and debit cards didn’t have security chips.

“And just roads and stuff around here. This is a three-lane highway out here now and it was only two before.”

Halliday says he tries to block out the bad memories and focus on the good times. He has even stayed in contact with some of the inmates who treated him well in prison.

“They were quite happy to get my letters and I knew they would be because just getting a letter over there is a big deal.”

Now that he is settling in at home, Halliday says he is focusing on two things – appealing his conviction and following through a promise to renew his vows to his wife, who fought tirelessly for his release.

“I just wanted to do something to make her happy because I knew what she was going through over here. A lot of times she had it as bad or worse than me.”

With files from CTV Atlantic's Kayla Hounsell