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| Escaped rapist 'had bought car' | |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A convicted rapist who has been on the run for two days had bought a car in "breach of his release conditions", the Prison Service has confirmed. | |
| It is also believed life-sentence prisoner Mark Thomas Clarke, 40, had been living at home with his parents since the summer of 2007. | |
| Clarke, "a high risk sexual predator", was being paid a wage for working in the construction industry. | |
| He escaped while attending a training course at Nutt's Corner. | |
| Nexus, the group which counsels victims of sex abuse said the case of Clarke raised serious questions. | |
| Clarke was "living in the community", under Prison Service supervision. | |
| Chris Smallwood from Nexus said Clarke had made a "complete ass" of the system. | |
| "This man has gone off the radar. This causes high levels of fear and anxiety. | "This man has gone off the radar. This causes high levels of fear and anxiety. |
| "No-one knows where he is, that's quite worrying". | "No-one knows where he is, that's quite worrying". |
| He added: "The main issue for us here is, we are led to believe... that this guy was being monitored and supervised by the Prison Service within the community where he was released. | He added: "The main issue for us here is, we are led to believe... that this guy was being monitored and supervised by the Prison Service within the community where he was released. |
| "I would like to think that the Prison Service itself will be carrying out some form of investigation as to who made the decision to release this man into the community at this point." | "I would like to think that the Prison Service itself will be carrying out some form of investigation as to who made the decision to release this man into the community at this point." |
| 'Making progress' | 'Making progress' |
| Clarke was jailed in 1996 for kidnapping and attempted rape at knifepoint and given a minimum nine-and-a-half year tariff. | Clarke was jailed in 1996 for kidnapping and attempted rape at knifepoint and given a minimum nine-and-a-half year tariff. |
| Those offences happened 15 months after he was freed early from a nine-year sentence for rape. He had served four and a half years. | Those offences happened 15 months after he was freed early from a nine-year sentence for rape. He had served four and a half years. |
| Clarke was in the third stage of a pre-release programme monitored by the Prison Service when he fled from a course at Nutts Corner, County Antrim. | Clarke was in the third stage of a pre-release programme monitored by the Prison Service when he fled from a course at Nutts Corner, County Antrim. |
| The Prison Service website said: "When he (Clarke) was advised that he was being returned to prison until the circumstances of his case were fully reviewed, he absconded and staff were unable to apprehend him. | The Prison Service website said: "When he (Clarke) was advised that he was being returned to prison until the circumstances of his case were fully reviewed, he absconded and staff were unable to apprehend him. |
| "Clarke has spent significant time in custody beyond his nine year tariff and had progressed to living in the community. He had obtained a job and was making progress. | "Clarke has spent significant time in custody beyond his nine year tariff and had progressed to living in the community. He had obtained a job and was making progress. |
| "He remained under the supervision of prison and probation staff. He was also being monitored by the PSNI at weekends when a curfew was in force." | "He remained under the supervision of prison and probation staff. He was also being monitored by the PSNI at weekends when a curfew was in force." |