A man who faked his own death and fled to Spain to escape rape charges has been jailed for eight years. James Clacher was convicted last month of raping two women in August 2019 and September 2020.
The 57-year-old from North Lanarkshire went missing in May 2022 while facing trial for the offences. He was later traced to Spain and extradited back to Scotland.
Court sentencing
At the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday, Lord Cubie sentenced Clacher to eight years in prison with an additional two years on licence. The sentence was backdated to his arrest in Spain in May 2024.
Lord Cubie described Clacher's attempt to escape justice as "cowardly". The judge noted the "similarities are striking" between the two cases, as both victims had met Clacher on dating apps and were attacked in their own homes.
Judge condemns attacks
"These attacks took the victims by surprise, they were confused about how to respond," Lord Cubie said. He highlighted that in one case, Clacher told a "despicable lie" about his brother having a heart attack after the rape, attempting to pressure the victim into "backing down".
The judge said Clacher had used both victims for his own "self-serving" needs. He described the former Army reservist as using his survival experience to try and escape consequences, calling it "a cowardly action".
Devastating impact
Lord Cubie described the rapes as "devastating" and said they had left the victims "broken". He told Clacher: "You continue to deny any wrongdoing, so there is limited insight, no remorse and considerable risk to others."
Defence advocate Gail Gianni said her client was aware there was no alternative to a custodial sentence. She noted he had no previous convictions.
Elaborate escape plan
Clacher's car, a Suzuki Swift, was found at Loch Long car park in Arrochar, Argyll and Bute, in 2022. He sought to convince authorities that he had taken his own life.
Police launched an appeal to locate him and he was later traced to Nerja on the Costa del Sol. Sky News reported that one of their viewers spotted him there and passed the tip-off to police.
Spanish Civil Guard arrested him while he was working out on a beach, almost exactly two years after he disappeared. Reports suggest Clacher was living under a new identity and had befriended other British expats in Nerja.
Sources used: "PA Media", "Sky News" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
