A convicted rapist who was wrongly freed from prison after a major blunder told staff 'this is a mistake' and begged to be allowed to stay. Bernadin Dedic, 48, was released from HMP Wormwood Scrubs in February this year while awaiting trial for allegedly raping a woman at knifepoint. Within hours, he had taken a Eurostar train out of the UK and fled to his native Bosnia.
Prison release error
Dedic said he knew that a judge had not granted him bail and tried to persuade prison staff to let him remain. 'They told me I was released,' he said. 'I said: Let me stay the weekend, this is a mistake. But they pushed me out.' The blunder occurred after an official at Isleworth Crown Court mistakenly mixed up digital case files following a hearing on February 6 and wrongly concluded that Dedic had been granted bail. The error was then communicated to the prison.
Failed bail attempts
Dedic's legal team had previously tried and failed to secure bail, including by offering an £80,000 surety and conditions that he live at a friend's house in Milton Keynes, stay out of London, and report regularly to police. After his release, Dedic called his lawyers and friends, who advised him not to return for trial. 'They all told me you don't have a fair trial, go away and try from there,' he said.
Trial in absentia
The father of two, who has a home and business interests in the UK, did not return for his trial in March. He initially claimed he was having difficulty obtaining a visa, and later said he could not fly due to a knee injury from a skiing accident. In June, the trial went ahead without him after Dedic sent messages saying he had suffered chest pains on his way to the airport. Jurors found him guilty of four charges of rape, two counts of sexual assault by penetration, causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, threatening a person with a knife in a private place, and making threats to kill.
Victim's ordeal
The trial heard that Dedic had drunk red wine and snorted cocaine before holding the victim at knifepoint, cutting off her clothes, and threatening to kill both her and himself. Prosecutor Simon Sandford said: 'She was terrified and was prepared to do whatever he said.' Judge Hannah Duncan expressed doubt over Dedic's claimed heart attack, stating: 'This is yet another attempt by Mr Dedic to obstruct, manipulate and avoid justice.'
Government response
The Ministry of Justice said it is making changes following an independent review into the mistaken release of prisoners. A spokesperson said: 'We fully understand the distress these types of errors will cause and action has already been taken to address errors made in this case. More broadly this Government is investing £82 million to digitise and improve the archaic paper-based release systems we inherited to bear down on these mistakes and keep the public safe.' A review hearing in Dedic's case is scheduled for July 7, but no sentencing date has been set. When asked if he plans to return to London for sentencing, Dedic replied: 'No.'
