A RAPIST who escaped from court after being convicted, has had six months added to his seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence.

Bradley Tout was accused of “cowardice” by Judge James Tindal after he jumped the dock at Worcester Crown Court last month and remained on the run for several days.

The 20-year-old, of Durham Road, Ronkswood, was sentenced in his absence the following day before handing himself into police the following week.

Tout raped a 16-year-old girl in his car, while parked near Warndon Villages on December 27, 2018, after she had already been raped by Kulin Odedra in the same car on the same night.

Speaking in court today (November 9), where Tout, appearing via video link, pleaded guilty to a charge of escaping lawful custody, Judge Tindall said the defendant escaped out of “fear” because he “didn’t expect he was going to get convicted”.

“This was an opportunistic spur of the moment escape,” he said.

Referring to the rape, the judge went on to say: “This was an incredibly serious case as reflected in the sentencing to seven and a half years.

“The reality is you raped a girl in a vulnerable position, having been raped by someone else.

“The choices she made after, she possibly felt she needed to make as she had just been raped.”

Judge Tindal said while he accepted Tout was “genuinely surprised and genuinely panicked” at being convicted and so had not planned the escape, “it is always serious when someone runs away from justice”.

Paul Whitfield, prosecuting, said Tout had been brought to the police station by his parents after “around four days” on the run.

“When interviewed, he considered he was innocent of the crime he was convicted,” he said.

“He heard he was going to be held in custody overnight [prior to the sentencing], and he panicked and ran.

“He was in turmoil and knew he shouldn’t have done it. He wouldn’t say where he had been or what he had been doing in his absence.”

Mr Whitfield added that, on handing himself in, Tout was aware he faced a lengthy prison sentence.

Abigail Nixon, defending, said her client escaped out of fear and while a member of security staff was injured, Tout did not commit any assaults.

“To be fair to Mr Tout, no one got near him,” she said. “He was long gone.”

She said he has autism and as a result he has “difficulties dealing with normal social environments”.

“He has limited understanding of every day circumstances,” she added.

Judge Tindal sentenced Tout to six months in prison to run consecutively with the seven-and-a-half years for rape.