International police hunt for man accused of stalking and blackmailing comedian Matt Lucas
German-born Alijoscha Quooss misses bail hearing and vanishes after prosecutors authorise criminal charges
AN international police hunt is underway for a male artist accused of stalking and blackmailing Little Britain star Matt Lucas.
The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised charges against German-born Alijoscha Quooss, 36, who lives in London.
The Metropolitan Police launched an investigation after comic Lucas, 51, reported Quoos to them.
But officers say Quoos failed to answer his bail and is understood to have left the country.
A Met Police spokesman said: “Charges have been authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service against Alijoscha Quooss, of Cornwall Avenue, E2, for stalking and blackmail.
“Quooss failed to answer bail to be formally charged and is now understood to have left the UK.
“Enquiries are ongoing.
“The charges follow allegations reported to police on 26 June. Quooss was arrested the following day.”
The arrest came three weeks after Mr Lucas failed to get a gagging order against Mr Quooss at an emergency High Court hearing.
Represented by a KC the comedian, who also starred in hit comedy Come Fly With Me, sought an interim injunction against the illustrator and model but the judge dismissed his application.
Quooss had told a Sunday newspaper: “This has completely turned my life upside down.
“I did not do what I have been accused of by Matt Lucas.
“I have never harassed him or tried to blackmail him.
“He tried to silence me at a High Court hearing but failed despite the fact that I had to represent myself against a powerful law firm.
“But then three weeks later I was arrested, held in a prison cell for 20 hours and had my phone and iPad taken in evidence by police which has been extremely distressing.”
Quooss had said the current police investigation had made his work ‘impossible’.
It comes just weeks after Lucas’ comedy partner David Walliams, 54, was dropped by publisher Harper Collins for alleged inappropriate behaviour with women.
The company had said it had decided not to release any new titles by Walliams.
