91-year-old sent to Australia for trial
A 91-year-old widower accused of sexually touching a child is facing extradition to Australia to stand trial.
Edwin Holmes is said to have repeatedly abused a girl, from the age of seven, between 2008 and 2014.
Holmes, from Leeds, was arrested on 20 August 2020 after an extradition warrant was issued.
District judge Nicholas Rimmer said the pensioner can be extradited to Australia and referred the case to Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Holmes now has 14 days to appeal the judgement.
The judge had earlier heard submssions that it would be oppressive to extradite Holmes to Australia given his age and health problems.
Dr Caroline Doyle compiled a report about the conditions in Casuarina Prison, a maximum-security prison in Perth where Holmes would be remanded.
She cited a report from June 2021 stating that prisons in Western Australia are facing challenges, ‘especially regarding older prisoners’.
Dr Doyle said there is an ‘overcrowding issue’ as the prison has a capacity of around 512 but there are currently 1,208 prisoners.
Dr Alan Mitchell, an expert on prison health, also gave evidence following a home visit to Holmes’ address.
‘Mr Holmes lives on his own,’ he told the court. ‘He is independent insofar as he is self-caring.
‘He is using a wheelchair today but a wheelchair is not necessary when he’s at home. He still drives and he drove on Monday this week.
‘Mr Holmes at the moment is self-caring and if he were to be imprisoned in Australia, I can see no reason why he would not continue to be self-caring.’
Dr Mitchell said that Holmes suffers with mobility issues and incontinence so the long-haul flight to Australia would be difficult.
He said: ‘Aircraft are never the most comfortable and I think it would be appropriate that a support person was to accompany him on the flight.
‘I think it would not be possible for Mr Holmes to physically get into an economy seat even if that economy seat were an aisle seat.’
Ben Keith, defending, said the evidence raised caused some ‘serious concerns about the ability of the Australian prison system to treat Mr Holmes’.
‘The question is whether it is unjust or oppressive to extradite on account of his physical health,’ he added.
Holmes, of Moortown, Leeds, was a painter and decorator until he retired aged 76.
He was widowed in August 2006 when his wife of 45 years passed away.
Holmes hit the headlines in 2017 when a kind-hearted worker at his local Sainsbury’s in Leeds invited him on a ‘date’ after hearing the pensioner was alone over Christmas.
Ellie Walker, 22, took him to the store’s restaurant to keep him company. He dressed up in his best suit and brought her flowers.
Holmes, who appeared in court in a wheelchair, faces seven charges of intentionally touching a child under the age of 13 in a sexual manner between 2008 and 2014.
