Convicted rapist freed by accident warned guards it was a mistake to release him

Convicted rapist freed by accident warned guards it was a mistake to release him Convicted rapist Bernadin Dedic, 48, is on the run from justice after being mistakenly freed from HMP Wormwood Scrubs in February A convicted rapist who is on the run from justice has claimed he told prison guards "this is a mistake" when he was accidentally freed from jail. Bernadin Dedic, 48, was remanded in custody at HMP Wormwood Scrubs while awaiting trial on allegations that he repeatedly raped a woman at knifepoint when he was released in February this year. Within hours of the blunder, Dedic had taken a Eurostar out of the UK and returned to his native Bosnia. Speaking to the Press Association, Dedic said he knew at the time that a judge had not granted him bail and claimed he had tried to persuade prison staff to let him stay. "They told me I was released," he said. "I said: 'Let me stay the weekend, this is a mistake.' But they pushed me out." Dedic was arrested on suspicion of rape last September and had been remanded in custody pending a trial scheduled for March. An official at Isleworth Crown Court mistakenly mixed up digital case files following a hearing on February 6 and wrongly concluded that Dedic had been granted bail. The error was then communicated to the prison. Dedic said his legal team had previously tried and failed to secure bail, including by offering an £80,000 surety, as well as conditions that he live at a friend's house in Milton Keynes, stay out of London and report regularly to police. Dedic said that after he was released from the west London prison, he called his lawyers and spoke to friends. He said friends "all told me you don’t have a fair trial, go away and try from there". The father of two, who has a home and business interests in the UK, did not return for the trial in March, initially sending messages through his lawyers claiming he was having difficulty obtaining a visa. When those travel difficulties were resolved following interventions by police, a judge and Border Force, Dedic said he could not fly because he had injured his knee in a skiing accident. The rearranged trial in June then went ahead without him after Dedic sent messages saying he had suffered chest pains on his way to the airport. In his absence, jurors found Dedic guilty of four charges of rape, two counts of sexual assault by penetration, causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, threatening a person with a knife in a private place, and making threats to kill. When asked if he plans to return to London for sentencing, Dedic replied: "No." Dedic, who pleaded not guilty to all charges before fleeing the UK, said he does not want to go to prison and suggested he also could not return by plane because of a fear of enclosed spaces. The trial heard evidence that Dedic had drunk red wine and snorted cocaine before holding the victim at knifepoint, cutting off her clothes and threatening to kill both her and himself. "She was terrified and was prepared to do whatever he said," said prosecutor Simon Sandford, referencing the sexual attacks that followed. Judge Hannah Duncan said she was "far from convinced [Dedic] has had a heart attack" when she decided to have a trial in his absence. She said: "This is yet another attempt by Mr Dedic to obstruct, manipulate and avoid justice." The Ministry of Justice said it is making changes following an independent review by Dame Lynne Owens into the mistaken release of prisoners. "We fully understand the distress these types of errors will cause and action has already been taken to address errors made in this case," a spokesperson said. "More broadly this Government is investing £82 million to digitise and improve the archaic paper-based release systems we inherited to bear down on these mistakes and keep the public safe. Our focus now is working closely with the police and CPS to return this offender to custody so they can face justice." A review hearing in Dedic’s case is scheduled to take place on July 7. No date for sentencing has yet been set.