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| Domenico Rancadore: Mafia boss wins extradition battle | Domenico Rancadore: Mafia boss wins extradition battle |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Convicted Mafia boss Domenico Rancadore will not be extradited back to Italy, Westminster Magistrates' Court has ruled. | Convicted Mafia boss Domenico Rancadore will not be extradited back to Italy, Westminster Magistrates' Court has ruled. |
| District judge Howard Riddle said a recent decision of the Administrative Court, which binds lower courts in England, had led to his decision. | District judge Howard Riddle said a recent decision of the Administrative Court, which binds lower courts in England, had led to his decision. |
| Rancadore will be bailed while an appeal takes place, the judge ruled. | Rancadore will be bailed while an appeal takes place, the judge ruled. |
| He was told he must live at his home in Uxbridge and report to Uxbridge police station every day. | He was told he must live at his home in Uxbridge and report to Uxbridge police station every day. |
| The 65-year-old was asked to secure his bail with £20,000. He was given a curfew and will also be electronically tagged. | |
| Mr Riddle told the court his original decision was to extradite Rancadore. | Mr Riddle told the court his original decision was to extradite Rancadore. |
| In an original draft, Mr Riddle said he was satisfied the European arrest warrant was valid and that extradition was "compatible with the defendant's convention rights, including prison conditions". | |
| 'Binding' judgement | 'Binding' judgement |
| However, in a dramatic turnaround, the judge changed his decision following the ruling in a similar case involving the Court of Florence and Hayle Abdi Badre. | However, in a dramatic turnaround, the judge changed his decision following the ruling in a similar case involving the Court of Florence and Hayle Abdi Badre. |
| "The judgment of the Administrative Court is binding on me," Mr Riddle said. | "The judgment of the Administrative Court is binding on me," Mr Riddle said. |
| Following the ruling, Rancadore's lawyer Karen Todner said: "It's almost impossible to defeat a European arrest warrant but we have been successful today so I'm delighted with the decision. | |
| "He's got a serious heart condition so being in prison is very difficult for him." | |
| Rancadore's family were "very emotional" following the ruling, she added. | |
| The court heard that Mr Rancadore, who has had a stent fitted and suffers from angina, was admitted to hospital last week due to heavy chest pain. | |
| He said he was "not well at all", with pains in his chest, adding: "I feel destroyed." | |
| Rancadore, who was known as The Professor in his native Sicily, moved to London in 1994 with his wife and two children. | Rancadore, who was known as The Professor in his native Sicily, moved to London in 1994 with his wife and two children. |
| He was found guilty of Mafia association and extortion in Italy in 1999 and given a seven-year jail term. | He was found guilty of Mafia association and extortion in Italy in 1999 and given a seven-year jail term. |
| Rancadore adopted the alias Marc Skinner, using the maiden name of his British-born wife's mother. | Rancadore adopted the alias Marc Skinner, using the maiden name of his British-born wife's mother. |
| Previously, the court heard he had fled Italy because he wanted "a normal life" for his family and had "cut every tie" to his past. | Previously, the court heard he had fled Italy because he wanted "a normal life" for his family and had "cut every tie" to his past. |
| The prosecution alleged he had been "deliberately absent" from the 1999 trial, where he was subsequently sentenced, and had deliberately "hidden" his identity as he knew he was a wanted man. | The prosecution alleged he had been "deliberately absent" from the 1999 trial, where he was subsequently sentenced, and had deliberately "hidden" his identity as he knew he was a wanted man. |
| Two European arrest warrants were issued for Rancadore in August, and his counsel, Alun Jones QC, told a previous hearing the difference between them was significant. | |
| Mr Jones said the level of crime had been elevated in the second warrant, adding it was a "deliberate decision taken to prejudice this man's rights". | |
| The lawyer described the second arrest warrant as "dramatic" and "lurid". |