Former World Champion boxer flees the UK to avoid a cocaine trial. Police suspect he’s in Thailand. Luke Atkin, 37, dodges court on cocaine charges. He is believed to have escaped to Thailand. North Yorkshire Police appeal for public help as manhunt intensifies.
A former world champion boxer last week fled Britain ahead of trial for conspiracy to supply cocaine. Police there believe that 37-year-old Luke Atkin, who has previously served time in jail, may already be in Thailand. They have appealed to the public for assistance but believe the wanted man is already in the kingdom.
North Yorkshire Police in the United Kingdom have launched a manhunt for a convicted drug dealer.
The police force believes that 37-year-old Luke Atkin may have fled the country for sunny Thailand.
Mr Atkin, formerly a World Champion bare-knuckle boxer, failed to turn up last week before Bradford Crown Court.
Court issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the UK boxer after he failed to show up before the judge. On Friday last he was convicted of conspiracy to supply
At an earlier hearing, he was charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine.
On Friday last, May 24, the court found him guilty in absentia. Later, it issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
Police in West Yorkshire, where the court case took place, have made an appeal to the public for help. Anyone with any information is asked to contact them. Certainly, this can be done anonymously online or by telephone call to the police 101 hotline number.
‘We are appealing to anyone who has seen Atkin or knows where he is now to contact us. It is believed that he has travelled abroad and may be in Thailand.’
Police also disseminated an incident number.
‘We urge anyone who has any information about his whereabouts to call us on 101 and pass information for incident number 12240074511.’
Luke Atkin is a minor celebrity in northern England, known for his bare-knuckle boxing exploits. He fought as a professional as Luke ‘loose cannon’ Atkin
The 37-year-old lives in Warrington, an industrial town on the River Mersey near Liverpool. Previously, he hailed from York City.
The wanted man is a minor celebrity in his locality, having won no less than two world championship titles for bare-knuckle boxing in May 2018. The fighter won at heavyweight and cruiserweight levels, a record at the time.
Following this, after going professional, he appears to have been less successful.
For instance, in Leeds in November last year, he lost a fight to Darren Hendry. In recent years he has been dubbed Luke ‘loose cannon’ Atkin.
Unlikely rags to riches convict star arrested again in Thailand over online gambling promotion
In the meantime, Atkin has been jailed before at a younger age. The charge was grievous bodily harm.
Last year, he told a podcast how his five-year prison sentence had caused his father, who introduced him to boxing, to break down. In short, his father had encouraged him to leave school as a boy.
He assured him that someday he would be a world champion boxer and took him to his first fights.
Jailed for five years at a younger age for causing grievous bodily harm but afterwards, Atkin went on to win two world title belts as champion at 2 levels
Afterwards, the parent had to be sectioned or institutionalised while his son was serving time in jail among hardened criminals.
The middle-aged boxer appeared emotional when he reminisced about receiving the news in a letter. Atkin had the letter read out to him by another inmate as he could not decipher the handwriting.
However, he later went on to win his titles in Coventry. In brief, that was in May 2018 when he knocked out his opponent Dom Clarke in the second round.
Bare-knuckle boxing is legal in the United Kingdom
Bare-knuckle boxing is legal in the United Kingdom. Indeed, it is the original sport of boxing.
However, in 1892 gloves were introduced by regulatory associations because they were safer.
At this time, the sport is not governed by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC).
In the last four years, bare-knuckle fighting has become extremely popular in Thailand. Indeed, there are regular events in Bangkok, Phuket, and Pattaya.
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