An evil gym boss who faked his own death has been found guilty of violently raping two women he met on dating sites.
James Clacher disappeared off the face of the Earth in May 2022 while facing the serious charges.
During a trial at the High Court in Glasgow, Scotland, jurors heard how he abandoned his car in rural Argyll and Bute, where he also left a fraudulent suicide note detailing how he intended to take his own life.
The 57-year-old, who committed the heinous sex attacks between 2019 and 2020 after meeting his victims on dating sites, then fled to Spain where he evaded capture until November 2023. He was eventually located in Nerja in the south of the country after a tip-off, Sky News reports.
Clacher, from North Lanarkshire, raped his first victim at her home in Troon, South Ayrshire, on August 24, 2019, within 15 minutes of meeting her after they matched on Tinder. Eleven months later, he raped a second woman in her flat in Glasgow on September 4, 2020, in another horrifying attack after they met on Bumble and bought a Nando’s takeaway before returning to her home.
A joint investigation between Police Scotland, the National Crime Agency and the Spanish Civil Guard resulted in his eventual capture and extradition back to the UK last year.
During trial, Clacher denied any wrongdoing and claimed any sex was consensual after lodging a special defence in court.
It was also revealed during trial that Clacher lied about his age, as well as the timing of his brother’s death among other things while lying to people he met online.
Advocate depute Catriona MacLeod told Clacher: “You told lie upon lie, so many lies. What are you not lying about?”
Jurors returned guilty verdicts to the two separate rape charges on Wednesday.
He will be sentenced on October 1 after jurors returned a guilty verdict on both charges of rape.
Detective Inspector Bruce Fyfe said: “It’s difficult to comprehend the distress and suffering Clacher caused the women in this case. I hope this conviction brings them some form of comfort. He will now face the consequences of his actions.
“Following the missing person report, extensive enquiries were carried out to establish his whereabouts.
“As the investigation into the missing person and sexual offences progressed, it became clear he had left the country to evade justice after faking his own death.
“We worked closely with our international law enforcement colleagues, including the National Crime Agency and Spanish Police and the perpetrator was subject to extraditions proceedings.
“This conviction demonstrates our commitment to thoroughly investigating serious offences and pursuing those who seek to avoid prosecution, no matter where they go.
“If anyone is experiencing or has experienced any type of sexual abuse, we have detectives dedicated to investigating such offences. Please report it and be assured you will be fully supported and listened to.”