DAVID AUSTIN FROM EDINBURGH AND WHITECRAIG ON THE RUN IN BENIDORM

In April 2013, a disturbing case unfolded involving David Austin, a convicted paedophile from Whitecraig, East Lothian, who had been evading authorities for over seven months before being apprehended in Spain. The arrest took place in the popular resort town of Benidorm, where police successfully tracked him down after an extensive manhunt. Austin, aged 47, now faces imminent extradition proceedings as authorities prepare to bring him back to Scotland to face the charges against him.

His flight from justice began after he was granted bail in September of the previous year, 2012, while awaiting an appeal against his five-year prison sentence. The sentence was handed down after he was found guilty of possessing and downloading child abuse videos, with police discovering 39 disturbing images and 15 video clips on his home computer. Despite being incarcerated, Austin was released on bail, which allowed him to leave prison temporarily while he prepared to challenge his conviction.

However, Austin failed to appear at a scheduled hearing in February 2013, prompting a police manhunt across Scotland and beyond. It was later revealed that he had been living on a caravan site on the outskirts of Benidorm, a well-known holiday destination in Spain. His disappearance raised serious concerns, especially given his criminal history and the nature of his offenses.

Sources from the campsite indicated that undercover police officers discreetly apprehended Austin, ensuring minimal disturbance to other residents. The arrest was carried out quietly, with few people on the site aware of the operation. The investigation into his whereabouts revealed that Austin had a troubling past, including a previous conviction in 1992 for sexual assaults on men while he was residing in Canada. At that time, he was working as a child carer and was sentenced to six years in prison.

In a statement, a Police Scotland spokesman confirmed the arrest, saying, “The Fugitives Unit can confirm that a 47-year-old man has been arrested by authorities in Spain in connection with offences in Scotland.” This development marked a significant breakthrough in the case, which had garnered considerable media attention due to the severity of the crimes involved.

Looking back to the events leading up to his flight, it was revealed that Austin had been involved in a previous incident in 2007 when police seized computer equipment from his home in Whitecraig. During that investigation, authorities uncovered 15 paedophilic movies and 39 still images. Austin claimed that the computer could have been used by others, asserting that it was not under his sole control at all times, as he was studying at Napier University in Edinburgh. Nonetheless, he was convicted at Edinburgh Sheriff Court for downloading child pornography.

His criminal record includes a prior conviction in Scotland in 2004 for similar offenses. The 1992 conviction in Canada, where he was working as a child carer, involved sexual assaults on young men and resulted in a six-year prison sentence. Following his latest conviction, Austin was remitted to the High Court for sentencing, where the judge considered whether to impose an indeterminate sentence. Ultimately, Lady Stacey sentenced him to five years in prison, with an additional five years of supervision, but did not impose a lifelong restriction order.

His sentence was backdated to December 2009, when he was first taken into custody. Under early release provisions, he was eligible for parole after serving half of his sentence, which meant he could have been released at the two-thirds mark. By the time of his bail in September 2012, Austin had served approximately two years and nine months of his sentence. His defence lawyer, Moira MacKenzie, informed the court that Austin had not been in contact with his solicitors recently, and that a letter with details of his appeal hearing had been sent to his home. She also disclosed that Austin’s mother had been contacted but was unaware of his current whereabouts.

During the proceedings, Lady Paton, along with Lords Brodie and Wheatley, decided to deny Austin’s appeal and issued a warrant for his immediate arrest. The case remains a stark reminder of the ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to track down and apprehend individuals involved in child exploitation and related crimes, especially those who attempt to evade justice by fleeing abroad.