A convicted rapist who went on the run after absconding from a pre-release training course has been recaptured by police in Belfast.
Mark Clarke was detained by PSNI officers in the Springfield Road area of west Belfast just after 2pm.
He is to be returned to Magheraberry Prison near Lisburn where he will be questioned by detectives about being unlawfully at large for the past two days.
The 40-year-old is described as a high-risk sexual predator.
He was serving a life sentence for the kidnap and rape of a woman. Those offences were committed 15 months after he was freed early from a nine-year sentence for a previous rape conviction.
Clarke had served more than 11 years in Magheraberry Prison but had recently been living in the community under the supervision of the Northern Ireland Prison Service.
He was attending a pre-release training course but absconded last Tuesday. He had acess to a car, which was in breach of the conditions under which he was released into the community.
In the third stage of a pre-release programme, Clarke had been living at home with his parents under strict release conditions.
He had also been working for a wage in the construction industry as part of his rehabilitation.
One of the conditions of his temporary release was that he was not permitted to drive a vehicle except while at work.
A Prison Service spokesman said: 'When he was advised that he was being returned to prison until the circumstances of his case were fully reviewed, he absconded and staff were unable to apprehend him.'
