A MAN who was found guilty of rape and then fled from court has been jailed for seven years.

Adrian Horwat, 21, of no fixed address, appeared at Southend Crown Court on July 1, for sentencing in relation to the rape of a girl under 16 in a car park in Baxter Avenue, Southend, on April 26, 2014.

Horwat was convicted on March 14 but left the court while on bail before the jury was able to return verdicts on four other matters for which he was then found not guilty.

He was arrested by police for the bail breach on April 3 and remanded in custody until today’s sentencing hearing.

As well as being jailed for seven years for the rape offences, he was also jailed for eight weeks for failing to appear which will run consecutively.

Horwat was ordered to be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and a restraining order was imposed against Horwat contacting the victim either directly or indirectly.

The court heard how the probation service found that Horwat blamed the victim for the offence and minimised the extent of his offending.

They concluded that this offence, against a child stranger demonstrated reckless behaviour and a predatory lifestyle and put him at risk of reoffending.

Two people remain on police bail on suspicion of breaching the anonymity of a rape victim under section five of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992 following actions carried out after police publicity of Horwat as wanted following his absconding.

An 18-year-old man from Westcliff and a 21-year-old woman from Southend are bailed until August 16.