Around the middle of March, a Green Point resident called in a break-in. However, little did he know that both the South African Police Crime Intelligence Unit and the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Investigation Unit were investigating him.

You see, Lee Nigel Tucker is a paedophile who escaped from the UK over decade ago and settled in the seaside suburb. HERE’s a picture of him and below is what he was accused of:

Originally busted in Bristol in 1998 as part of a paedophile gang that targeted boys aged between 12 and 15, Tucker was found guilty in 2000 of a series of child sexual assaults. While out on bail receiving treatment for a serious disease, he fled Britain and is believed to have spent time in the Far East before arriving in Cape Town in the mid-2000s.

He was promptly arrested at the end of March- read the details here.

On Monday, the Cape Town’s Magistrate’s Court declared the UK national a fugitive from justice who had evaded 42 child sex charges for over 15 years.

Magistrate Grant Engel ruled on several objections raised by Tucker’s legal team:

These included arguments that the charges were not extraditable, the warrant of arrest was defective, the accused was already acquitted of the charges and had not been aware that authorities were looking for him.

Engel had much to say on the matter:

This is not the first time that he is before court. Ignorance of the law was not a defence.

To my mind, the elements of logic and common sense further militate against Mr Tucker’s argument that he was blissfully unaware.

The fact that the warrant of arrest referred to indecent assault did not make it defective. The offences were similar to those in local legislation.

The buggery and indecent assault charges constituted rape in South Africa.

Being a fugitive from justice did not necessarily mean Tucker would not get bail.

However, the State indicated it would oppose bail.

[source: news24]