A COLLEGE principal described by a judge in Britain as “radioactive” and who is facing child pornography charges may be on the run in Ireland.
Thomas Marius Leopold (42) is believed to have fled to Ireland just before his trial in London for having child pornography.
Mr Leopold, who had undergone radiation treatment for a thyroid condition, skipped bail shortly before his trial two weeks ago and a warrant for his arrest was issued on Thursday.
The former banker, from Hammersmith, west London, faces five charges of making and possessing child porn in 2006. He was arrested in July 2006 and his case fixed for October, but his ill health forced an adjournment. A trial was eventually rescheduled for February 9th this year.
However, four days before that hearing he drove on to a ferry in Fishguard, south Wales. He was questioned by special branch officers there but they released him after he showed them his radiation card and insisted his bail conditions had been changed so he could visit his mother in Ireland. He then drove on to the ferry heading for Rosslare, Co Wexford.
A Garda spokesman said yesterday: “We can’t confirm that he is in the jurisdiction. We have not received a European arrest warrant in relation to him, and our assistance has not been requested as yet.”
Southwark Crown Court judge John Price, who issued the warrant for Mr Leopold’s arrest, said in court on Thursday: “Please warn officers that when he is arrested he might be radioactive.”
Mr Leopold’s defence, Jeannie Mackay, told the court: “His doctor confirmed he is dangerous, in terms of radioactivity, for a period of six weeks after treatment.”
However, it is believed the risk to public health may be low. Tom Ryan of the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland said: “Typically people who are treated like that in Ireland would be kept in hospital for about six nights and then released back into the care of their own family. They’re kept in isolation . . . but then after six days the clinical judgment is that the doses are tolerable.”
