Rapist who fled UK before trial jailed in absence
Aadel Nassrallah, 39, ran away to Syria before he could face justice, Newcastle Crown Court hears.
**Rapist who fled UK before trial jailed in absence**
Aadel Nassrallah fled to Syria before he could be tried for offences including rape.
A rapist who left the country before facing trial has been jailed in his absence for 18 years.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that Aadel Nassrallah, 39, ran away to Syria before he could face justice.
A trial went ahead without him, and he was found guilty of offences including rape.
The victim said Nassrallah, who had lived in Elswick in Newcastle, "took the joy" out of her life.
In a statement read to the court, the woman said no-one could go through what she had without it "destroying their mental health".
"I lost the ability to be me," the woman said.
Recorder Mark Giuliani said Nassrallah was a serious sexual offender who was reportedly "trying to emulate what he had seen in pornographic movies" when he raped the woman.
The judge said Nassrallah "voluntarily absented himself from the jurisdiction" before the trial, adding: "I am aware he has returned to Syria."
The court heard that a warrant was issued so Nassrallah would be detained and imprisoned if he returned to the UK or was extradited.
Nassrallah will also have to sign the sex offender register for life.