A BRITISH MAN accused of raping a woman in Blackpool more than a decade ago has been arrested in West Cork.
TheJournal.ie understands Andrew Roper, who had been living in the Clonakilty area for a number of years, was arrested by local gardaí ten days ago. He now faces the possibility of extradition and will appear in court next week.
The British man was on the run for more than ten years, having been arrested in 2001 after a 22-year-old woman accused him of rape. He was arrested at the time and questioned by UK police before being charged.
Roper, who was working as a taxi driver back then, was bailed and was due to appear in court in April 2002. He failed to show up and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He is also wanted by police in Kent in connection with an assault in November 2005.
A local said Roper’s arrest on foot of a European warrant came as a shock as he had managed to conceal his past from people living in the area for years. “No one knew anything about his past here and it was a bolt out of the blue,” they said.
In 2006, Roper was added to Crimestopper’s ‘most wanted’ list. At the time, police believed he was still a resident in the UK. He is due in court on Tuesday.
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