Rapist who went on the run before he was due to be sentenced has been jailed for 10 years.

Rapist Jailed for 10 Years After Fleeing Before Sentencing

Muarug Abraham Gebremcal, 34, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for rape. He had absconded from a bail address in Plymouth after being convicted at Exeter Crown Court in September 2023.

Gebremcal, originally from Eritrea, had been living in Torquay when he targeted a woman leaving a nightclub in December 2021. He befriended her, posing as a Good Samaritan, and led her to his bedsit on Warren Road where he raped her.

The victim, who had been separated from her friends at the club, had been trying to contact her boyfriend when Gebremcal approached her. She told the jury that she had become intoxicated and was feeling vulnerable.

Gebremcal denied the rape, claiming the woman had consented and been an enthusiastic partner. However, the jury found him guilty.

Judge Anna Richardson, sentencing Gebremcal in his absence, said he would face further prosecution for breaching his bail conditions. She highlighted the "significant" pre-planning involved in the attack, stating that Gebremcal had chosen a vulnerable victim and a route to his home that avoided busy roads.

Devon and Cornwall Police stated that Gebremcal has family links to Plymouth, Birmingham, and London, but could be anywhere in the UK.