Blerim Hajdarmataj, 35, who was deported from the UK in 2019 following a conviction for raping an 18-year-old woman, has been apprehended in Essex after re-entering the country. Hajdarmataj was working as a cleaner when he committed the assault in September 2014 after meeting the victim at a Chelmsford bar. He invited the woman back to his home, and she later awoke in his bed with injuries including scratches, bruises, and bite marks.
The victim fled the property and managed to flag down a motorist for assistance, with Hajdarmataj reportedly pursuing her. He used aliases including Ben Matka and Rinor Hajdarmataj. Hajdarmataj disappeared during his 2016 court case and was convicted in his absence. He was later located in Kosovo, traced from Albania, and brought back to the UK under a European arrest warrant to face sentencing.
In 2017, Detective Inspector Terry Balding stated that Hajdarmataj had exploited a vulnerable woman and shown no remorse, emphasizing the lasting impact on the victim and the additional distress caused by his flight during the trial. Despite his deportation in 2019, Hajdarmataj was discovered living in Rayleigh, Essex, in July of the current year.
On Wednesday, at Basildon Crown Court, Hajdarmataj pleaded guilty to knowingly entering the UK in violation of a deportation order. He also admitted to breaching his sex offender notification requirements by failing to inform the police of his return and his new address. Judge Richard Conley imposed a 16-month prison sentence for entering the UK unlawfully. A concurrent 12-month sentence was given for the breach of the deportation order. A 12-month prison sentence typically triggers automatic deportation proceedings, though this can be subject to appeal under human rights law.