An American fugitive who faked his own death and fled to Scotland to avoid rape charges has been given a sentence of five years to life.

Nicholas Rossi, 38, was described as ‘a serial abuser of women’ and ‘the very definition of a flight risk’ by the judge in Salt Lake City, Utah.

He spent years on the run after the attack on a former girlfriend there in 2008.

Rossi was finally caught when staff at a Glasgow hospital recognised him from a police ‘wanted’ notice as he was receiving treatment for Covid in 2021.

It was the first of two sentences handed to Rossi, who was found guilty of a second rape charge in September.

Both offences took place in northern Utah in 2008.

Rossi will be sentenced for the second conviction in November.

His first sentence will be carried out at the Utah Sta

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