A fugitive's battle to evade justice despite already spending two years behind bars in Ireland has been described as 'farcical' by an MP.

Former law lecturer Julian Myerscough has been fighting to avoid extradition back to England since October 2015 after fleeing Ipswich Crown Court before a jury convicted him of child pornography offences for the second time.

Despite three unsuccessful attempts to challenge his detention in the Republic of Ireland, the 55-year-old, formerly of Alexandra Road, Lowestoft, is now making a fourth bid.

It is probable Myerscough has now spent longer in prison fighting extradition than he would have served in jail had he been given a custodial sentence in 2015.

Waveney MP Peter Aldous said: 'I think it's farcical. It is really a waste of resources and is preventing the legal system from taking its course.

'I'm alarmed to hear of this case and will be taking it up with the relevant Government department.'

Myerscough was found guilty at Ipswich Crown Court on September 30, 2015, of 13 counts of making indecent images of a child.

He was also found guilty of three counts of breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which had been placed on him following a conviction for a similar offence in 2010.

However, while the jury was deliberating its verdict, Myerscough, who had been living in the Manchester area, fled.

The former UEA lecturer took a ferry from Holyhead to Dublin where he was discovered at a city centre hotel two days later, having booked a flight to Budapest, Hungary.

The High Court in Dublin ordered his surrender to the UK authorities in February 2016. Myerscough then undertook two cases under Article 40 of the Constitution claiming his detention in Arbour Hill Prison was unlawful, both of which were rejected. He appealed unsuccessfully against one of those decisions. In January this year a third unsuccessful Article 40 application failed.

A spokesman for the High Court in Dublin has now said Myerscough has made another application for leave to appeal his detention which is awaiting determination before the Supreme Court. There is no date listed for a decision at this time.