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Missing Fishwick rapist who fled to Thailand receives eight-year sentence

Posted on - 8th November, 2022 - 9:54am | Author - | Posted in - Crime, Fishwick, Lancashire Police, Preston News
Michael Foster. Pic: Lancashire Constabulary

A Preston rapist who failed to attend court after fleeing to Thailand to escape justice received an eight-year sentence yesterday.

Michael Foster, 35, formerly of Fishwick Parade, Preston, raped his victim in a Preston flat in July 2020. His trial went ahead in his absence in September, and a jury found him guilty with a unanimous verdict.

On Monday, 7 November, he was sentenced, again in his absence, at Preston Crown Court, receiving eight years in prison and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life. Police had arrested and charged him, and he was due to appear at Preston Crown Court in December last year, but he failed to turn up.

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Det Con Sue Wilson of Lancashire Police said: “Michael Foster’s attack on this vulnerable woman has had an absolutely devastating effect on her life, and it is a violation from which she has said she would never fully recover. To compound his crime, Foster has failed to take any responsibility for his actions and has fled the country to try and evade justice.

“The substantial custodial sentence imposed by the court today reflects the gravity of the offending, and we will now do all we can to find Foster and ensure he is returned to the UK to serve his sentence.”

Police enquiries suggest he fled the country to Thailand and has not returned. International efforts are underway to find Foster and return him to the UK.

Read more: PC Karen Graham recognised for her outstanding contribution to Lancashire Police

In an impact statement, the victim, a woman in her 20s, described how the attack had almost destroyed her life. She said the rape had set in motion a chain of events that would alter the course of her life, taking her to the depths of despair.

She lost her friends, job, and self-esteem and gained nothing but the wish to end her life. She said it was a ‘little short of a miracle’ that she was still alive.



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