A RAPIST has had his prison sentence extended for a "determined and outrageous" attempt to escape justice by fleeing the country before his trial.

Joseph Tsang was due to stand trial at Oxford Crown Court in August last year accused of raping and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in a hotel room.

But the 31-year-old fled to Hong Kong, sparking an international manhunt until he was later arrested and extradited to the UK.

The amateur ice skater appeared at Oxford Crown Court via video link yesterday,[mar1] where he admitted breaching his electronically-tagged bail.

Judge Patrick Eccles QC said Tsang, of Sandy Lane, Oxford, had betrayed the trust of the court by breaching his bail.

Jailing him for a further six months Judge Eccles added: "You broke your word, it was a betrayal of the trust of the court.

"Such a determined and outrageous breach of bail undermines the criminal justice system."

Tsang was initially released on bail in January last year, after being found guilty of two counts of causing or inciting a female under 16 to engage in sexual activity, three counts of sexual activity with a child under 16 and making indecent images of children.

But after he fled the country in August, a jury unanimously found him guilty in his absence of two counts of rape and two counts of sexual assault following his second trial.

Judge Eccles branded Tsang a "sexual predator" and jailed him for 15 years in October.

Tsang was not in court for the sentencing as he was still awaiting an extradition hearing before Hong Kong magistrates at the time, but arrived back in the country to begin his sentence last month[feb5]

Lisa Bald, defending, insisted her client had not escaped the country by impersonating his sister.

She told the court he had gone to Hong Kong because his mum was seriously ill and added: "She died on October 31 last year.

"As a result of his action he was actually in custody in Hong Kong and was refused leave to go to her funeral."

Judge Eccles said the court had sympathy for Tsang having a terminally ill mum, but stressed other defendants make it to court in similar circumstances.

He added: "You put your own personal circumstances above the interests of justices."