This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/28/mafia-boss-domenico-rancadore-bail-high-court
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Mafia boss Domenico Rancadore denied bail in high court ruling | Mafia boss Domenico Rancadore denied bail in high court ruling |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The high court has overturned a decision to grant bail to the fugitive mafia boss Domenico Rancadore, who was arrested in London after evading Italian authorities for 20 years. | |
| The appeal by the Italians against bail being granted was delayed on Wednesday after judges heard that Rancadore, 64, had been taken to hospital with heart problems. | |
| Lord Justice Goldring, sitting at London's high court with Mr Justice Ouseley, said it was clear that Rancadore had a heart problem and it was something that should be borne in mind. | Lord Justice Goldring, sitting at London's high court with Mr Justice Ouseley, said it was clear that Rancadore had a heart problem and it was something that should be borne in mind. |
| But there was "a real risk – indeed a very real risk – that he would abscond if granted bail". | But there was "a real risk – indeed a very real risk – that he would abscond if granted bail". |
| The judge added: "In my view this appeal should be allowed and Mr Rancadore remanded in custody." | The judge added: "In my view this appeal should be allowed and Mr Rancadore remanded in custody." |
| Rancadore is wanted in Italy to serve a seven-year jail term for his role as "a man of honour" in Cosa Nostra, collecting bribes from builders in Trabia, near Palermo. | Rancadore is wanted in Italy to serve a seven-year jail term for his role as "a man of honour" in Cosa Nostra, collecting bribes from builders in Trabia, near Palermo. |
| The chief magistrate Howard Riddle granted him bail at Westminster magistrates court on Monday, but he was not released after the prosecutor Hannah Hinton said there would be an appeal. | The chief magistrate Howard Riddle granted him bail at Westminster magistrates court on Monday, but he was not released after the prosecutor Hannah Hinton said there would be an appeal. |
| Rancadore was arrested on 8 August at his semi-detached home in Uxbridge, west London, where he lived under the false name Marc Skinner with his wife and children. | Rancadore was arrested on 8 August at his semi-detached home in Uxbridge, west London, where he lived under the false name Marc Skinner with his wife and children. |
| He told officers upon his arrest that he was not going back to Italy because "they will kill me", the court heard previously. | He told officers upon his arrest that he was not going back to Italy because "they will kill me", the court heard previously. |
| The conditions of bail set out by the chief magistrate included £50,000 security, residency at his home, a curfew, reporting to a police station twice daily, providing his phone number, keeping his mobile switched on and not applying for foreign travel documents. | The conditions of bail set out by the chief magistrate included £50,000 security, residency at his home, a curfew, reporting to a police station twice daily, providing his phone number, keeping his mobile switched on and not applying for foreign travel documents. |
| The court has previously heard that Rancadore was a leader in a murderous gang that "spread terror in Sicily". He was convicted of having mafia links in Italy in his absence after he had come to live in the UK with his family in 1993. Italian prosecutors claim that he received around £3,500 in bribe money, and "ensured strict compliance with the rules of the organisation", the court has heard. | |
| He was found guilty of being part of the gang between December 1987 and April 1995. Rancadore was acquitted of previous mafia charges in 1993 after spending months in custody and more than two years under house arrest. | |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |