Key Points:
Police said he r@ped two women in 2019 and 2020. He ran in 2022 and hid in Spain
Officers found him in May 2024 and flew him home. A jury then found him guilty
The judge called his act “cowardly” and set a long term. He will stay on licence after jail
A man who tried to dodge court will now serve time. The court named him as James Clacher, aged 57. He hid for two years to avoid his trial. Today, a judge sent him to prison.
He r@ped two women in August 2019 and September 2020. Both crimes took place in the women’s homes. Each woman met him on a dating app. He used them for his own needs.
He went missing in May 2022 as his trial neared. At the time, police found his Suzuki Swift by Loch Long. It was in a car park at Arrochar, Argyll and Bute. He wanted staff to think he had died.
How he ran and how he was found
The lie did not last for long at all. He moved to Nerja, on Spain’s Costa del Sol. He kept his head down and hoped to stay free. Undercover officers then tracked him and moved in.
Police caught him in May 2024 while on the run. Spain then sent him back to Scotland to face trial. A jury heard the two case files in full. It found him guilty of both r@pes last month.
The court then set today for his full sentence. Lord Cubie sat as judge at the High Court. He looked at the links between both r@pe cases. He said the links were clear and hard to miss.
Lord Cubie called the bid to flee “cowardly” in court. He said Clacher shows no guilt and no care. He said there is “limited insight” and “no remorse”. He also warned that he is a risk to others.
Judge slams lies and sets long jail term
The judge spoke on how he used lies to press one victim. He said Clacher lied that his brother had a heart attack. The court heard that he said this to make her back down. The judge then called that lie “despicable”.
The court set an eight-year jail term for the crimes. It also added two years on licence after jail. He must obey strict rules when he leaves prison. If he breaks them, he goes back to jail.
The case lands as public talk on law stays loud. In other civic news, the FCT minister said Abuja stays safe; see our report on Abuja remains one of the safest places. Health news also trends this week as doctors move to cut long calls; read about the resident doctors 24-hour shift limit.
He will serve his time as the law demands. Police say the two women showed strong will and calm. The court praised them for the step to speak out. The judge said their words helped bring this end
