Arrest warranted issued for twin brother of Da Vinci Code rapist after late arrival at court

• Arrest warrant issued for Richard Greens, twin brother of Da Vinci Code rapist Robert Greens, after late arrival at sentencing for assault

• Sheriff refused to withdraw warrant despite Greens’ eventual arrival

Richard Greens turned up late to be sentenced with his wife for assaulting a man and breaking his leg.

The sheriff in the case issued an arrest warrant for Greens and refused to change his mind when the 35-year-old eventually showed up.

Greens, from Penicuik, Midlothian, responded by calmly walking out of Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

His lawyer confirmed Greens had gone on the run after the sheriff refused to withdraw the warrant.

The pair had been warned at an earlier hearing that no sentence would be ruled out.

Richard Greens was due for sentencing over an assault, and an ealier reset charge, on January 1 this year.

His twin brother Robert - dubbed the Da Vinci Code rapist - was jailed in 2005 after raping a student at Rosslyn Chapel, Midlothian, and is currently out on supervision.

At today’s hearing, before Sheriff William Holligan, Richard Greens and his co-accused wife, Lee, 32, were not present when the case called.

Greens’ lawyer, Ross Gallagher, told the court he had been unable to contact the pair.

He said that despite the help of another lawyer, “we haven’t been able to make contact with either of the accused”.

The sheriff then issued an arrest warrant for the pair.

Just minutes after the case adjourned, the lawyer bumped into his clients who were apparently waiting outside the wrong court.

Greens, wearing glasses and a dark hooded top, appeared confused as Mr Robertson led him and Lee into Sheriff Holligan’s court, where the sheriff was no longer on the bench.

The pair took seats in the public gallery as Mr Robertson asked the clerk of the court if the sheriff would recall the arrest warrant.

The clerk spoke to the sheriff on the telephone before telling Mr Robertson the warrant would not be recalled.

The couple, on being told of the decision outside the court, left immediately, flashing their middle fingers at a press photographer outside.

Asked if the Greens were “on the run”, Mr Roberston replied: “Yes. The sheriff wouldn’t recall the arrest warrant.”

Richard and Lee Greens ended up in court after a Hogmanay party at a relative’s house.

Richard was called Robert by another guest and flew into a rage.

Greens, a father of five, threw Garry Campbell down the stairs so hard his shin bone broke through his skin.

Lee Greens then kicked the man’s broken leg.

She accused him of being a “drama queen” and “waggled” the broken limb three or four times, fiscal depute Karen Rollo told an earlier hearing, though th man was screaming in pain.

They both admitted the assault charge in January and the reset charge in September this year.

The pair were arrested at their home days after the attack, where police found items which had been stolen during a housebreaking.

Robert Greens has been at the centre of a series of protests and repeated house moves following his release from jail.

Locals are furious that the sex offender was rehomed, without them being warned, just miles from where the attack took place.