A MAN who fled the country after sexually assaulting a woman in Malton is being brought back to North Yorkshire.

Pavels Zuravskis, 27, has been on the run for three years since he failed to attend a hearing at York Crown Court on October 21, 2016.

He was tried and convicted in his absence in January 2017 and sentenced to two and a half years in jail.

Now, after he was arrested in the Netherlands on the warrant issued by the York court, he is heading back to the UK to serve his sentence, which may be increased for skipping bail

Detective Inspector Eamonn Clarke of North Yorkshire Police who led the extradition team said: “This is another example of where fugitives flee the UK and we work tirelessly with our international colleagues to locate and arrest them and then bring them back to face justice.

“As is the case here, it can take some years to do so.

"But it shows that we will not stop in the search for justice against those who commit serious offences and abscond from the UK. We will do everything we can to find you.

“One of the worst things about this case is the additional anguish and upset Zuravskis has caused to his victim by going on the run."

Zuravskis, a Latvian-born Russian speaker, was living in Malton when he committed the offence in 2015.

At an initial court hearing he denied the charge of sexual assault.

But then he failed to attend later hearings and after deciding he had wilfully skipped bail, Judge Andrew Stubbs QC decided he should be tried in his absence.

Det Insp Clarke said the victim had received help from specially trained officers and agencies specialising in helping victims of sexual crimes.

"I hope his capture provides some closure for her," he said.

North Yorkshire police officers worked closely with police forces and international agencies in several countries to locate Zuravskis and finally found him in Amsterdam.

"Special thanks go to my colleague Paul Somerville from the Force Intelligence Bureau who worked hard with the logistics and liaison to ensure this extradition was possible," said the detective inspector.

Zuravskis was put on the sex offenders' register for life when he was convicted in January 2017. .