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A man who jumped bail and fled the country two years ago during his trial for rape, has finally started his 10 year sentence today. Maidstone Crown Court heard how Andrew Alderman, 49, had panicked when he thought that he was to be found guilty for raping a 15
year
old girl in August 2006 and absconded to Spain. He was sentenced to 10 years in his absence, the maximum punishment for a crime of this nature. He finally handed himself into police at the British Consulate in Madrid on 18th November 2008, following an international publicity campaign to find him. Yesterday, Alderman, previously of Lavender Hill, Tonbridge, was granted extradition and flown back from Madrid to appear before Maidstone Crown Court this morning (3 December), to answer charges for breaching his bail conditions and failing to appear for trial. Judge Andrew Patience sentenced him to a further year and three months for breaching his bail, but ordered it to run concurrently due to the severity of the original sentence. He will have to serve at least two
thirds of the original 10
year sentence and sign on the sex offenders register for life. Detective Inspector David Berry who originally investigated the case, comments: "I am pleased with today's result which I hope will bring some sense of closure to the victim and her family who have been in limbo for the past two years. I would also like to thank the media and our partners at Crimestoppers, the Serious and Organised Crime Agency and Interpol for their combined efforts in this case, as the publicity campaign pricked the conscience of Mr Alderman, forcing him to hand himself in." |
