A British fugitive has openly boasted about his escape to Thailand while awaiting trial for a knife crime, as new figures reveal tens of thousands of defendants are skipping court across England and Wales. The self-confessed offender, identified only as 'AD', told Channel 4's Dispatches programme that officials were 'absolute wallies' for granting him bail after his arrest for wounding with intent. He bragged about boarding a flight to Pattaya, a Thai city known as 'Sin City', while his lawyer reportedly told him he could go 'to the moon and back' before his court date.
Nearly 60,000 defendants skipped court last year
The programme, titled Hunting Britain's Fugitives, uncovered that almost 60,000 Failure to Appear warrants were issued in 2025, a 50 per cent increase since 2020. More than 30,000 warrants remain outstanding, with over 7,000 dating back before 2020. Over a quarter of these are for category A offences, including rape, armed robbery, and manslaughter. Crown courts have seen a 134 per cent surge in such warrants, from 6,808 in 2020 to 15,963 in 2024.
AD's brazen escape
AD, who faces a potential sentence of up to 18 years, described his easy departure: 'I booked a flight on easyjet.com... and they gave me bail, didn't they, the absolute wallies? I can go to the moon and back, my solicitor told me.' He admitted to having a knife and using it, adding, 'That type of time kind of gives me shivers.' Despite his violent history, he was allowed to keep his passport.
Other fugitives tracked down
The programme also located a fugitive named Miles, wanted for a shooting and stabbing, who continues to live in North London using safe houses. He said, 'Prisons are packed. Court cases take years. Who wants to sit on remand for two or three years?' Another case involved Rashid Ali, who killed a man in a hit-and-run and fled to Pakistan. He was convicted in his absence and sentenced to five years. The victim's sister, Ciara Ryan, called for stricter passport controls: 'I would like it to be the case that people facing serious charges... aren't able to have their passport and then essentially abscond.'
Ex-Justice Secretary blames backlog
Former Justice Secretary Alexander Chalk blamed the pandemic, barristers' strikes, and prison shortages. He said, 'Delay is toxic... If you're a defendant accused of a serious crime and told your trial won't happen for three years, you might think, "I'll just go to Thailand."' The crown court backlog has hit a record 80,203 cases, more than double the 2019 figure. The Ministry of Justice said it is 'pulling every lever available' to address the backlog, while the CPS stated it opposes bail when there are grounds to believe a defendant will not attend court.
Hunting Britain's Fugitives: Dispatches airs on Channel 4 on 29 May at 8pm.
