A fugitive sex offender who went on the run before a court could punish him has finally faced justice nearly two years after he fled.
Robert Clark had previously admitted two charges of indecent assault and one of intentionally causing another to look at a sexual image.
But he failed to show up for his sentencing hearing at Tain Sheriff Court on November 16 2020.
It led to high-profile appeals from Police Scotland for information on Clark’s whereabouts and warnings to the public not to approach him.
But the 59-year-old continued to evade police until this summer when he was arrested in Fife.
He appeared via video link from custody to be sentenced for crimes dating back to 2010 and 2013.
‘Emotional breakdown’
Solicitor Patrick O’Dea, representing Clark, told the court that his client had a “personal crisis” and “emotional breakdown” and started using illicit drugs before he fled.
He said: “He does regret not coming forward to resolve these matters. He told me this morning that he thought about it on many occasions”.
Mr O’Dea explained that Clark had been living with a friend but that friend had “not been given the background” of his situation.
Fugitive lacked ‘courage’ to appear
“He does wish to sincerely apologise, for what it is worth. He just didn’t have the courage to come forward sooner,” Mr O’Dea said.
He explained that his client had been fearful of being taken immediately into custody, an outcome Sheriff Gary Aitken indicated would have been made more likely by Clark’s own actions in attempting to evade justice.
Sheriff Aitken told Clark: “Your purpose for not turning up would seem to be to avoid the consequences of your actions.
“Given the nature of the charges that you have pled guilty to I consider that no sentence other than a custodial sentence is appropriate.
Clark was jailed for 10 months, backdated to August 29 of this year.
He now faces sentencing on a charge of failing to notify under the terms of the sex offenders register in Dunfermline next month.
