BENJAMIN GRIFFITHS, ABERYSTWYTH OFFENDER, FINALLY JAILED AFTER ESCAPE AND EXTRADITION

Update: Benjamin Griffiths has completed his sentence and has returned to the Aberystwyth area.

In November 2005, a fugitive rapist was finally imprisoned after being extradited from Germany. Griffiths, who had gone on the run, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and received an additional nine months for contempt of court.

Benjamin Griffiths, 64, a former teacher from Aberystwyth, was given a custodial sentence last December in his absence for the crime of raping a nine-year-old girl. He was later extradited to the UK last week and appeared before Chester Crown Court on Wednesday.

His location was discovered after he applied for a pet passport for his dog. During his original trial at Chester, Griffiths had been granted bail and subsequently disappeared on the final day. His arrest occurred in April in Karlsruhe, southwestern Germany.

Judge Roger Dutton commented on Griffiths' actions, stating that he had made "a calculated and determined attempt to put an impediment in the way of the trial." The judge explained that extensive inquiries were conducted to locate him, but these efforts were unsuccessful because Griffiths had made solid plans to leave the country.

The judge also noted that Griffiths' disappearance caused significant expense, stating, "They proved unsuccessful as you had made determined arrangements to leave the country altogether. You caused a huge amount of expense by your disappearance. Fortunately, the case had attracted a great deal of publicity and that publicity encouraged members of the public to come forward to try to assist in your apprehension." He recalled describing Griffiths as "a very dangerous and worrying individual."

Ahead of Wednesday’s hearing, Griffiths' victim’s family expressed their relief at his capture, saying, "We are obviously relieved he has been caught and will finally be dealt with."

The search involved cooperation between Welsh detectives, the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS), and German police. Acting Detective Inspector Mark James of Dyfed-Powys Police stated, "The family had gone through the trauma of the trial and giving evidence in court, then it was as though they had been robbed of their moment of justice. The child involved had shown a lot of courage giving evidence."

The investigation cost nearly £14,000 to track Griffiths down. After his arrest in Germany, he challenged his extradition but was ultimately returned to the UK this week.

Earlier, in December 2004, police issued a warning as Griffiths, then aged 63, was considered a high-risk paedophile on the run. He had failed to appear at his trial at Chester Crown Court following his conviction of rape and indecent assault involving a nine-year-old girl. The court issued a warrant for his arrest, with Judge Roger Dutton describing him as an "intelligent and dangerous character."

Reportedly, Griffiths, a former teacher with extreme religious beliefs, exploited the girl after her mother passed away. He was known to have lived in Aberystwyth, west Wales, and police appealed for public assistance, noting that the last known communication from him was reportedly from the Warwickshire area, indicating he could have been anywhere.