Rapist who went on the run for eight years is finally brought to justice
A rapist who went on the run in Europe for eight years has finally been brought to justice and jailed.
Sarbaz Najmadeen Ali, 36, was on trial for raping a man he knew in September 2014 but he fled from the court during a hearing’s lunch break.
A jury at Hove Crown Court convicted him in his absence – of committing a rape, an attempted rape, assault by penetration and two counts of sexual assault against a 33-year-old in Hastings, in 2013.
But Ali escaped the country before he could be put behind bars and went on to commit other sex crimes in Germany and France.
Eventually, a police officer in the German city of Regensburg recognised Ali from a BBC Crimewatch appeal and told Sussex Police he was in custody there.
But Ali was then extradited to France for sexual offences he carried out there.
He had to serve one year in jail there before the UK could execute a European Arrest Warrant and get him extradited to this country.
Ali, a former barber, appeared at Lewes Crown Court on Wednesday and was finally brought to justice.
The predator, formerly of Stockleigh Road, St Leonards-on-Sea in East Sussex, was handed a total of seven years in prison, plus a further three years on an extended licence.
He was also sentenced to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life, which will restrict his access to children under the age of 16.
‘This is to reflect his dangerousness to young people following his conviction in France,’ Sussex Police said.
Investigator Julian Stokes said: ‘Admiration has to be given to the courageous victim, who gave evidence at the trial in 2014 and who has had to wait for more than eight years for justice to be served following Ali’s sentencing.
‘This demonstrates that Sussex Police will go to extraordinary lengths to bring dangerous offenders such as Ali, back to the UK to face justice.’
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