A man facing charges of rape and domestic abuse in the US may be extradited from Scotland after judges refused his appeal.
Nicholas Rossi, who has been accused of faking his own death to avoid prosecution, insists he is a victim of mistaken identity and has been fighting his case in the Scottish courts.
In September, Scottish ministers signed an order giving permission for Rossi, 36, to be extradited, following a lengthy legal battle.
Rossi lodged an appeal against the extradition order, which was heard in Edinburgh last week.
But in a decision published on Thursday, judges refused the appeal, concluding there was “no merit in any of the appellant’s arguments”.
Rossi is wanted in the US for allegedly raping a woman in Utah in 2008 and also faces domestic abuse charges.
He initially came to the attention of the authorities after being admitted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow with Covid-19 in December 2021.
Despite a sheriff ruling that he is Rossi, he claims to be an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight.
Representing himself in court on Thursday last week, Rossi called for an extension to his appeal period to allow him more time to present new evidence.
He also moved to be granted bail, and to have the court impose restrictions on the media reporting of his case.
More follows on this breaking news story…
