Man at centre of extradition case told to instruct lawyer ‘with haste’

The accused insists he is Arthur Knight and a victim of mistaken identify as US authorities say he is Nicholas Rossi.

US authorities are trying to extradite the man they say is Nicholas Rossi, but he insists he is Arthur Knight (Jane Barlow/PA)

A man who is said to have faked his own death to escape a sex assault charge in the US, and was then found allegedly hiding in Scotland, has been told to get a lawyer to defend his case “with haste”.

The accused claims to be Arthur Knight, a victim of mistaken identity who says he has never been to America.

But US authorities want to extradite the man, who they say is Nicholas Rossi, for a rape charge in Utah.

The man has made headlines since being arrested at a hospital in Glasgow in December where he attended with Covid.

He has since been on bail.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday, defence lawyer Anna Kocela from Dunne Defence Lawyers said the man had not formally instructed solicitors about his case.

But the accused, who arrived in a wheelchair and was wearing an oxygen mask in court, claimed he had.

When Ms Kocela confirmed a second time that the firm had not been given information about the case, Sheriff Nigel Ross, overseeing the hearing, urged the defendant to contact a lawyer before proceedings can continue.

He gave him a deadline of two weeks.

The man attempted several times during the hearing to ask for an extension, but this was denied.

Sheriff Ross had to ask him to stop interrupting during the hearing, telling him: “Make sure with haste you have a discussion with whichever lawyer you wish to instruct and have them come and address the court in two weeks’ time.”

The case was continued until April 21.

Shortly after the hearing, the accused held a press conference at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel in Bread Street.

He told a room of three reporters that he wanted to give journalists a chance to ask him questions about the case.

He then announced his plans to host a second press conference on Friday, with “special guests”.

When asked who would be attending, the man said a private prosecutor from Utah called Craig Johnson would be there to answer questions about the charges against him, which he claims are “corrupt”.

He added: “He will be representing me in Utah where the charges will be dismissed because I am not Nicholas Rossi.”

Earlier, the court heard financing lawyers for the defendant is “in question”.

When asked at the press conference about how he plans to fund solicitors, he replied: “We have to make those decisions as any family would.

“We have both had careers in our lives and those are decisions that we have to take.

“And unfortunately because of the unfortunate nature of what has occurred, there is very little that we can do to be prepared to offer those payments for our solicitors.

“I have no intention of leaving my wife penniless, if, God forbid, anything should happen to me.”

When asked if he is applying for legal aid, he said no.

The second press conference is due to take place at a Hilton in Glasgow on Friday at 1pm.

US prosecutors claim Rossi raped a 21-year-old in Orem, Utah, in 2008.

He is also said to have attacked women in Rhode Island, Ohio and Massachusetts.

They say Rossi was also known as Nicholas Alahverdian, among other aliases.