EVIL GLASGOW SERIAL RAPIST WHO FLED TO SPAIN JAILED FOR 8 YEARS
01/10/2025 - Jailed for 8 years at the High Court in Edinburgh!Dramatic footage shows the moment a fugitive from Lanarkshire wanted on suspicion of rape was apprehended by plain-clothes police while working out on a Spanish beach.
The suspect, identified as James Clacher, 55, from Bellshill near Glasgow, went on the run in 2022 after being summoned to court on charges of raping two women he met via Tinder.
He had been due to appear in court before vanishing, but was finally captured in Nerja, Costa del Sol, where he was exercising when police found him.
Clacher had been linked to two alleged attacks—one at a Troon flat in August 2019 and another in Gorbals, Glasgow, in September 2020.
He was arrested on May 21, 2024, after police obtained information indicating his whereabouts, thanks to surveillance and tips from the National Crime Agency.
After initial detention, he was taken to a police station where his fingerprint and mugshots were recorded.
The police released footage of his arrest, which was carried out with the help of Spain’s Civil Guard, who revealed that Clacher's dedication to fitness led to his downfall.
Currently, it is unclear whether Clacher opposes extradition or will agree to return to the UK to face trial.
Scottish Police have announced that extradition proceedings are in motion, and he is expected to be transferred to stand trial for the alleged sexual assaults mentioned above.
UPDATE 03/09/2025 James Clacher, 57, fled Scotland in a bid to escape justice when he was reported missing from Bellshill on May 30, 2022.
His car, a Suzuki Swift, was found at the Loch Long car park in Arrochar the following day.
Police have said Clacher caused “distress and suffering” for his two victims which is “difficult to comprehend”.
Despite trying to convince the authorities of his death, he was later traced to Spain.
Police Scotland confirmed that he was arrested in May last year and later extradited back to Scotland.
Clacher was convicted following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow on two charges relating to the rape of two women – which took place in August 2019 and September 2020.
One of the victims told the trial that she was raped after the man she had initially believed was a dietician and fitness instructor, called James Clarke, turned up at her home in South Ayrshire.
Giving evidence behind a screen, the woman told how she had met her attacker through the Tinder dating app and they had agreed to go for dinner near her home.
She was then attacked within 15 minutes of meeting Clacher for the first time.
The woman said moments after telling her date to "make himself comfortable" while she finished getting ready for their night out, she was pushed against a wall and brutally assaulted.
She was then further abused after being led upstairs while in a state of "shock".
A second woman told how she was raped at her flat in Glasgow in September 2020.
The pair, who had matched on dating app Bumble, had earlier collected a takeaway from Nando's before Clacher drove them to Irvine Beach, where they ate in the car, talked, and took a walk on the beach.
They then returned to the woman's house to watch a movie, where she was assaulted.
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 inquiries 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 extradition proceedings.” DI Fyfe continued: “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.”
