The fugitive in pyjamas and slippers
US sex crimes suspect wanted sheriff to ban the media from covering his extradition case
A FUGITIVE wanted for alleged sex crimes in America turned up for a court hearing wearing pyjamas and slippers and tried to have the media banned from reporting on his case.
A man alleged to be Nicholas Rossi, who is wanted in the US over accusations of sexual assault, was arrested at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow after nearly dying of Covid last year.
He now faces extradition proceedings to return him to the US.
However, the 34-year-old, who also goes under the name Nicholas Alahverdian, claims he is not Rossi and that his name is Arthur Knight.
Yesterday, he arrived at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in a private ambulance and was pushed into court in a wheelchair.
He was brought from custody, having been remanded last week at Glasgow Sheriff Court on a criminal matter.
Hooked up to an oxygen tank and wearing burgundy pyjamas, the man asked Sheriff Alistair Noble to ban the media from reporting on his case.
Representing himself in court, he said: ‘There is a media circus. The media continues to refer to me as Nicholas Rossi. They continue to make prejudicial and extrajudicial comments about my case.’
Prosecutor Julie Clark told the court that the Crown had no view on whether there should be a reporting ban.
But Sheriff Noble said that reporting of the extradition matter would not prejudice the criminal case at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
He added: ‘The Glasgow Sheriff Court case is a summary matter that won’t be heard by a jury, it will be heard by a sheriff. Given that is a summary matter, the sheriff can be expected to put aside anything that will appear in the press.’
The man, whose wife Miranda sat in the courtroom at a table normally reserved for laywers, also told the court that he planned to appeal Sheriff
James Spy’s decision to remand him in custody.
Miss Clark said that a hearing expected to take place earlier this week at the Sheriff Appeal Court could not go ahead because the man could not be brought to court.
The hearing was expected to see the Crown call on the man’s bail for the extradition case being revoked.
Miss Clark added that in light of the Glasgow case, the Crown might ask for the extradition hearing to be adjourned.
She said this would be a ‘short adjournment’ as the trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court is expected to call next month.
But Miss Clark said that the Crown might also ‘take a view’ of the criminal matter if there were further developments with regards to the extradition case. Sheriff Noble agreed to a request made by Miss Clark to continue the extradition hearing until tomorrow.
The man was first arrested on December 13 last year after being admitted to the QEUH Glasgow for urgent treatment for Covid 19.
He is said to have checked in using the alias Arthur Knight and was traced following a tipoff from Interpol.
Law enforcement agencies in the US claim he faked his own death to flee charges there and that he moved to Scotland under an assumed identity.
He is wanted in Utah over an allegation of sexual assault.
However, the man claims his name is Arthur Knight and claims never to have been in the US.
He has not yet submitted any arguments stating why he should not be extradited.
During earlier proceedings, Sheriff Kenneth Maciver, QC, heard that the man produced an Irish driving licence in the name of Arthur Knight.
However, the court also heard that Irish authorities had no record of the document ever being ‘legitimately’ issued.
The man was remanded in custody last week after being detained by police after he allegedly engaged in threatening behaviour towards staff at the QEUH.
Ahead of the hearing yesterday, the man quoted Sherlock Holmes outside the court, saying: ‘The game’s started. The game’s afoot.’
‘Prejudicial and extrajudicial’