‘US fugitive’ who insists he is an eccentric British professor named ‘Arthur Knight’ in a case of mistaken identity faces more rape allegations in America as he fights extradition
- US officials say man who appeared in court in Edinburgh today is Nicholas Rossi
- The wheelchair-bound man in court claims to be 35-year-old ‘Arthur Knight’
- Rossi has been accused of rape and faking his death to flee Utah for Scotland
- Now two more extradition orders have been served accusing of more offences
A man who denies being US fugitive Nicholas Rossi and insists he is instead an eccentric British professor called ‘Arthur Knight’ is facing with two further allegations of rape and assault, a court has heard.
American state officials in Utah are seeking the extradition of the 35-year-old man, who was arrested in a Scottish hospital’s Covid ward last year.
US authorities claim he is Mr Rossi – who they say faked his death in 2017 and fled to Scotland amid accusations he raped a 21-year-old woman in Utah in 2008.
Now, Edinburgh Sheriff Court has heard that US prosecutors have submitted two further extradition requests against the man, who claims to be called Arthur Knight from Ireland.
One relates to another allegation of rape and another to an allegation of sexual assault, with both extradition request served on him at court today.
Advocate depute Paul Harvey said: ‘As a result of the extradition process I’m told that two other women in Utah have come forward with allegations of sexual offences.
A man (pictured), whom officials in the United States have said is Nicholas Rossi, appeared at an extradition hearing in Edinburgh today
‘On Friday, October 28 the US Embassy in London issued a diplomatic notice for supplementary extradition requests, requesting the extradition of the person.
‘This morning Scottish ministers certified the extradition requests and copies of both extradition requests and the Scottish ministers’ certification were served on the requested person by a police constable at the court this morning.’
He said one relates to an allegation of rape in Salt Lake City and another to an allegation of sexual assault elsewhere.
The man, who arrived at court with his wife Miranda Knight, is already fighting an extradition request by authorities in Utah who allege he raped a 21-year-old in the state.
He was arrested on December 13 last year after being admitted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow – under the alias Arthur Knight – for urgent Covid treatment.
He was traced following a tip off from Interpol while he was on a ventilator in intensive care.
Rossi told US media in December 2019 that he had late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma and had weeks to live – before several outlets reported that he had died in February 2020, with a gushing obituary published online about him.
The 35-year-old, who claims to be called Arthur Knight, has been fighting an extradition hearing by US authorities since he was arrested in December 2021. He is pictured in Edinburgh this morning
Rossi (pictured) is accused of faking his death from cancer in the US to avoid a sexual assault charge, before fleeing to Scotland. He now faces two further charges of rape and sexual assault
US authorities says Rossi goes by several aliases include Nicholas Alahverdian and Arthur Knight,
He is accused by Utah prosecutors of fleeing the US to avoid prosecution for an alleged sexual assault in 2008.
He is also said to have attacked women in the states of Rhode Island, Ohio and Massachusetts.
However, when the man was arrested in Scotland, neighbours claimed he had told them he was a British professor who said he was working at the nearby University of Glasgow.
Described as an eccentric, the alleged academic was often seen sporting large hats, dapper bow ties and spoke with a cut-glass English accent.
It was also claimed he enjoyed visiting bars wearing suits, where he would sip on whiskey and go on political rants about Brexit. with one neighbour telling The Times: ‘For someone who was on the run, he really liked to draw attention to himself.’
The alleged fugitive furiously denies he is the American wanted by the FBI and insists he has been mistakenly identified by the authorities.
Miranda Knight, the wife of the defendant, arriving at Edinburgh Sheriff and Justice of the Peace Court, for a hearing on the extradition of Nicholas Rossi to the US
But attempts to explain why he is not Rossi were branded ‘entirely outlandish’ by Mr Harvey.
It followed evidence from forensic experts on Monday and Tuesday, who claimed the man’s fingerprints were either ‘identical’ or ‘similar’ to those of the man wanted by US prosecutors.
Giving evidence earlier this week, the accused claimed the fingerprints on the extradition request (those of Rossi) were meddled with, and taken from him by an NHS worker called ‘Patrick’ on behalf of David Leavitt, a Utah county attorney.
Mr Harvey urged Sheriff Norman McFadyen to reject the man’s ‘fanciful’ explanations.
He said: ‘The account that it was a man known only to be Patrick who took the prints from him when he was in a coma at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, that is not only fanciful but entirely outlandish.’
Earlier in the week, Tenprint Identification Officer (TIO) Lisa Davidson told the court that fingerprints taken by police in July from the man in HMP Saughton Prison are ‘identical’ to Rossi’s fingerprints on the Interpol red notice and the extradition request.
Advocate Paul Harvey, pictured right with advocate Gareth Reid, said the defendant’s claims not to be Rossi were ‘entirely outlandish’
On Tuesday, another TIO, Anita Vezza, analysing the same images, said the fingerprints had ‘similar characteristics on each that were unique to that person’.
In his evidence on Tuesday, the man claimed he was tattooed while unconscious in hospital, telling the court this is why he has similar tattoos to Rossi.
Making his closing submission on Wednesday, the third day of the hearing, Mr Harvey said the sheriff has the information he needs to find that the man is Rossi.
He said: ‘Your Lordship has authenticated photos, you have authenticated fingerprints, and your Lordship is entitled to reject the person’s outlandish explanations.
‘Your Lordship has the fingerprints which provide on its own sufficient proof that this man is the person who the Americans seek. Your Lordship has photos, tattoos and use of aliases.’
The hearing continues.