A Nuneaton man who went on the run before he was convicted of four rapes has been jailed indefinitely by a judge.
25-year old Nathan Lucas from Vernons Lane skipped court during his trial at Warwick Crown Court in Leamington back in June.
He was convicted in his absence of four counts of rape, one of attempted rape and a charge of false imprisonment.
Police launched a major operation and found him in Scotland weeks later thanks in part to an appeal on TV’s Crimewatch.
A judge today sentenced him to a minimum of 13 years behind bars and told him that on his release he would be registered as a sex offender.
DI Gill Young of Warwickshire Police’s dedicated rape investigation team said:
“We are pleased that the court process has been completed and the women involved can start to rebuild their lives knowing that Lucas will be in custody for a long time. We hope this brings them some comfort after they bravely came forward to give evidence at his trial.”
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 5:07 pm