Wanted rapist is arrested by police in Spain

MAN HAD DISAPPEARED AFTER BEING GIVEN 10 YEARS

- By JADE MCELWEE

A TEESSIDE rapist who has been on the run for over three weeks has been arrested in Spain.

David Morrison was convicted of rape and sexual assault in August. But, after a jury found him guilty of the two charges, the 44-year-old engineer was given bail to get his "affairs in order". On October 6, Morrison failed to attend a court hearing and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

On October 24, the day of his sentencing hearing, Morrison was nowhere to be seen. In his absence, he was sentenced to 10 years behind bars.

In an update on Wednesday, Cleveland Police confirmed that Morrison, of Wilton Castle Lane, was arrested in Spain on Tuesday. A force spokesperson said: "He is currently in the custody of the Spanish authorities and will be extradited to the UK in due course."

A jury heard how Morrison left a woman in a hotel room before returning with another man, who he paid to have sex with her to fulfil his own twisted fantasy.

Summarising the case in sentencing, Recorder Paul Reid, who presided over the trial, said: "You [Morrison] started laughing and said 'I have got a present for you. You said: 'Do what you want to her, I'm going for a [cigarette] and some wine."

The woman, who did not know of Morrison's intention, had never seen this man before and she told him not to touch her. Morrison said to her: "You're making a mountain out of a molehill" and told the man he might as well leave as she's "not going to do it".

The court heard how after the man left, the woman told Morrison not to touch or come near her, but he persisted and raped her. In another separate incident, Morrison sexually assaulted the woman.

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