THE father and a cousin of a runaway rapist, who fled to Europe during his trial, have been warned they face a prison sentence after admitting helping him to leave the country.

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday that Wakar Akhtar is now in hospital in Italy but police are poised to bring him back to the UK.

Akhtar, 21, of Hudson Avenue, Canterbury, Bradford, drove to Dover, hours after giving evidence at his trial last month, and caught a ferry to Calais.

Akhtar was convicted in his absence of conspiracy to rape and sentenced to 17 years imprisonment, along with his uncle, Azad Raja, 38, also of Hudson Avenue; private hire driver Tamseel Virk, 42, of Marten Road, Canterbury; and Najeem Ul-Saeed, 31, of Beaumont Road, Girlington, Bradford.

The victim, a schoolteacher, was picked up by Virk in his taxi, in breach of his private hire licence. She was taken to Horton Park where she was raped in turn by Akhtar and Raja.

Yesterday Akhtar's father, Mohammed Akhtar Raja, 52, also of Hudson Crescent, and his cousin, 40-year-old Raja Sarwar, of Tern Street, Canterbury, Bradford, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

They admitted conspiring together, and with Wakar Akhtar, between November 16 and 19 this year, to pervert the course of justice by conspiring to assist Akhtar to leave the UK during his trial for the purpose of impeding his prosecution.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Roger Thomas QC, said he understood Akhtar had been arrested abroad and would be returned to appear before the sentencing judge in a few weeks.

He was told by the officer in the case, Detective Constable Sean Donoghue: "We are told that, at the moment, Mr Akhtar is in hospital in Italy."

Det Con Donoghue said all the documentation for his extradition was ready.

Glenn Parsons, representing Raja, who had the proceedings interpreted to him in Urdu, said his client had no previous convictions and he asked for a pre-sentence report.

Mr Parsons told the court there was an ongoing appeal against conviction and sentence in the case of Wakar Akhtar.

Judge Thomas adjourned sentencing of Raja and Sarwar until January 23 and said they would both have a probation report before then.

But he warned the defendants: "This is the sort of offence that will inevitably carry prison with it. In all reality, it will be a question of what that sentence is."

He remanded both defendants in custody.

After the hearing, Shahid Ali, of Bradford solicitors Ali and Co, confirmed their clients, Akhtar; Raja; and Saeed, were all appealing against their conviction and sentence. The fourth defendant, Virk, is also to appeal.