AN American prisoner who was extradited from Scotland earlier this year has admitted to using an alias for the first time.

Nicholas Rossi, originally from Rhode Island, was flown back to the United States to face two charges of rape in January.

It’s understood that Rossi met his wife, Miranda Knight, in Bristol in 2019 before marrying her 2020 and assuming the name Arthur Knight.

After moving to Glasgow, he was hospitalised with Covid-19 in 2021.

However, hospital staff recognised his tattoos — images of which had been shared by Interpol — which led police officers in Scotland to his bedside.

He was arrested yet maintained that he was not Nicholas Rossi but rather an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight.

Following a lengthy case in the Scottish courts, he was extradited to the US in January.

During a bail hearing in Utah this week, Rossi admitted to using the alias of Arthur Knight despite claiming he had been a victim of mistaken identity for the entirety of his time in Scotland.

Nicholas Rossi leaving Edinburgh Sheriff And Justice Of The Peace Court after an extradition hearing.Nicholas Rossi leaving Edinburgh Sheriff And Justice Of The Peace Court after an extradition hearing. (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire) He told the hearing that he fled the US in fear for his life and assumed the identity of Arthur Knight in a bid to protect himself.

Yet when asked to identify the people he claims threatened to kill him, he told the prosecutor: “I don’t want to give a mouse cheese”.

Rossi’s request for bail was denied after the judge ruled that there was “clear and convincing evidence” he would attempt to flee the country if released.

Not guilty pleas have been filed by his lawyer in the case, with a further hearing scheduled for two weeks time.