Magistrate orders extradition of Briton wanted for 1994 rape

A Briton has accepted to be extradited to the UK to face charges of raping a young girl 18 years ago.

The 57-year-old carpenter, Paul Woods, sat in the dock, mumbling, looking around, staring and commenting on the wood work in the court room, as the charges against him were read out.

When his court-appointed attorney turned up before the proceedings began, the two moved to the back of the court room to discuss the case. All of the sudden the lawyer, Noel Bianco, exclaimed that he could not get Mr Woods to understand anything as the accused kept on telling him not to waste paper, pointing at the court documents Dr Bianco was holding.

Mr Woods' behaviour became even stranger as Magistrate Edwina Grima walked into the court room at the beginning of the proceedings.

When asked what day he was born on, he said "Poppy day, poppy, poppy, poppy day... " The magistrate intervened, asking what year. He did not respond but when his lawyer suggested "1900, for instance... ", he said, yes, 1900.

The magistrate wondered whether the behaviour of the accused was authentic.

Taking the witness stand, Police Inspector Raymond Aquilina said a European arrest warrant had been issued by the Stoke-On-Trent Crown Court on April 7. The man was wanted in the UK for allegedly raping a girl under 16-years-old in 1991 and 1994.

Dr Bianco told the court his client would agree to be extradited and Magistrate Grima ordered his surrender to the British authorities.

Police Inspector Chris Galea Scanura also prosecuted.