Arsonist who absconded from open prison found in the Highlands

An arsonist who had been on the run for almost two years after absconding from an open prison was re-captured in the Highlands.

Haroon Yunus, who uses various other names, was jailed for life at Bolton Crown Court in 2007 and escaped from Sudbury on Boxing Day, 2015.

He had been incarcerated for setting fire to a property in Bolton while his partner was not at home.

The 42 year old former British Aerospace engineer was arrested in a house in Dan Corbett Gardens, Inverness on June 15 after police were called to deal with a complaint against him.

He was found hiding in a bathroom and gave police false details, Inverness Sheriff Court was told at an earlier hearing.

He admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice and had sentence deferred for a background report until yesterday.

His lawyer Urfan Dar said his client had escaped because of “a direct and credible threat against him”.

Yunus was jailed for 18 months by Sheriff Margaret Neilson but will be returned to complete his life sentence.