THE star of a popular TV drama series was today being hunted by police after he failed to turn up for his trial.
THE star of a popular TV drama series was today being hunted by police after he failed to turn up for his trial.
Craig Fitzpatrick, who played bad boy Lewis Sneddon in the BBC1 classroom drama Waterloo Road, was convicted in his absence of assaulting his pregnant girlfriend.
Magistrates in Ashton-under-Lyne were told that Fitzpatrick, 21, of Burnage, Greater Manchester, hit seven months pregnant Julie Owens over the head with a shoe at her flat before threatening to punch her in the stomach.
He lost his temper as he accused his girlfriend of seeing someone else, the court heard.
Fitzpatrick, of Lane End Road, was convicted of two counts of assault. His solicitor was unable to explain his client's absence and a warrant was issued for Fitzpatrick's arrest.
A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said Fitzpatrick had yet to be traced.
He said: "We can confirm he is still at large."
Fitzpatrick, who has also appeared in Shameless and Hollyoaks, will not return for the next series of Waterloo Road after producers decided not to renew his contract.
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