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Hi, I'm journalist Jane McSorley and I'm about to play you a clip from my podcast, I am not Nicholas. I came across this story as I was scrolling the morning News back in January 2022, and I immediately thought, this is unbelievable. A man had been arrested in a Glasgow Covid ward. Police were saying he was a fugitive called Nicholas Rossi, who was wanted for rape in Utah. But he was claiming to be an Irish orphan called Arthur Knight. I thought, I really want to look into this. And would you believe I ended up following this story for over four and a half years? Here's a taster. I wanted to ask if you knew the American man that lived here. I was seeing this as months and months of work. Hello, my name is Jane McSorley. Do you have just a few minutes now? And it has become practically a year. You just don't know what's going to happen when somebody answers that door. Oh. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. He's not dead. No way. I knew he was still alive. I knew right away. It was very strange. It was very strange. He would lock me in the upstairs bathroom. All I had was the running water. He has never hurt me, never touched me. He doesn't abuse me. A case of mistaken identity. I mean, what on earth is going on? It really is an unfortunate situation. I cannot get my head around the magnitude of this. It is beginning to become a storm. Top of my list when I start work on the story in January 2022 is I want to see this man, Arthur Knight. Well, he claims to be Arthur Knight, an innocent Irishman living in Glasgow. The US authorities say he is really an American fugitive called Nicholas Rossi. I hear he's due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court a few days later for a bail hearing. The court is just a 10 minute bike ride away from my house and I'll be there. It was just the most unbelievable sight. I was outside the courtroom, Arthur Knight is wheeled in. He was in a wheelchair and he had burgundy pajamas on. He had a burgundy matching dressing gown and he even had a burgundy cloth covering his entire head so you could not see his face. It was just like this burgundy mass on wheels. He had socks on, he had no slippers on. So it was just that first image of him. I was blown away. I was with a group of journalists and we're all looking at each other thinking, what on earth is this story? What on earth is this man all about? So then we all get into the courtroom. He's got at least two paramedics there, there Must have been prison officers there. And Miranda, his wife, was there and the cloth is gone from his head. Clearly Arthur Knight wasn't well. You know, he'd had Covid very badly and he was in and out of intensive. He had a mask covering his nose and his mouth. He had oxygen going into his mask. He's 34. He looks like he could be 64. He's small, he's round, he's hunched over. He's got greasy lank hair. He's got this beard that's peppered with gray. He's very pasty white. He's got these round black John Lennon style glasses. He had complete disrespect for the court proceedings. He repeatedly, repeatedly interrupted the prosecutor, his own lawyer, and shockingly, the sheriff, the sheriff, the judge. And it started from the outset. He asks him, are you Nicholas Rossi? And he said, no, I'm Arthur Knight. And then he continued unabated. And he was told off by the sheriff at least twice, if not three or four times. So that's how it started. But are you curious to know how it ends? Follow I am Not Nicholas on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts for series one and series two. I am not the Trials. You can binge all episodes early and ad free by joining Audible on the Audible app or Apple Podcasts.
Date: July 21, 2026
Host/Featured Journalist: Jane McSorley
This episode of "Criminal Attorney" features an audio teaser for the investigative podcast "I Am Not Nicholas" by journalist Jane McSorley. The clip introduces listeners to the bizarre case of a man arrested in a Glasgow hospital, accused by police of being American fugitive Nicholas Rossi—a man wanted in Utah for rape—while he insists he is Arthur Knight, an innocent Irish orphan. The episode sets the stage for a complex and mysterious international story, underlining the investigative depth and personal entanglement of its reporter.
Jane McSorley recounts stumbling across the story in early 2022, instantly recognizing its bizarre nature.
The conflicting identities—Nicholas Rossi versus Arthur Knight—spark her curiosity and propel the investigation.
"This is unbelievable. A man had been arrested in a Glasgow Covid ward. Police were saying he was a fugitive called Nicholas Rossi, who was wanted for rape in Utah. But he was claiming to be an Irish orphan called Arthur Knight."
— Jane McSorley [00:16]
Jane describes the enormous task of untangling this mystery, describing it as "months and months of work" that stretched into years.
The unpredictable nature of her investigation is highlighted by her efforts to track down key individuals and her persistence at their doorsteps.
"You just don't know what's going to happen when somebody answers that door."
— Jane McSorley [01:02]
Snippets of emotional interviews are included, illustrating the confusion and disbelief among those acquainted with the case.
Witnesses express shock at Nicholas Rossi being alive, contradicting previous assumptions of his death.
"Oh my God, oh my God. He’s not dead. No way. I knew he was still alive. I knew right away. It was very strange."
— Interviewee [01:10]
Jane includes mention of unsettling behaviors (e.g., being locked in a bathroom) and denials of abuse, adding to the case’s ambiguity.
"He would lock me in the upstairs bathroom. All I had was the running water. He has never hurt me, never touched me. He doesn't abuse me."
— Anonymous speaker [01:27]
Jane recounts attending Arthur Knight’s first court appearance at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, vividly describing his unusual attire and appearance.
His entrance—completely shrouded in burgundy fabric and accompanied by paramedics—astonishes the press corps.
"It was just like this burgundy mass on wheels... I was blown away. I was with a group of journalists and we're all looking at each other thinking, what on earth is this story?"
— Jane McSorley [02:19]
Knight/Rossi interrupts proceedings, challenging the court's authority and refusing to identify himself as Nicholas Rossi.
"He had complete disrespect for the court proceedings. He repeatedly, repeatedly interrupted the prosecutor, his own lawyer, and shockingly, the sheriff, the sheriff, the judge."
— Jane McSorley [02:58] "He asks him, are you Nicholas Rossi? And he said, no, I'm Arthur Knight. And then he continued unabated."
— Jane McSorley [03:14]
"It is beginning to become a storm."
– Jane McSorley [01:47]
"I cannot get my head around the magnitude of this."
– Jane McSorley [01:45]
"What on earth is this man all about?"
– Jane McSorley [02:28]
Jane McSorley’s narration is deeply immersive, personal, and filled with journalistic curiosity. The storytelling is vivid, laced with direct quotes and first-hand observations, drawing listeners into the baffling reality of the Arthur Knight/Nicholas Rossi saga. The tone fluctuates between disbelief, suspense, and a relentless quest for truth.
This episode gives listeners a gripping preview of the mystery that unfolds in "I Am Not Nicholas": a story of mistaken identity, alleged crimes, and international intrigue. With detailed scene-setting, personal anecdotes, and candid audio from interviews and courtroom moments, Jane McSorley offers a compelling invitation to follow her extraordinary multi-year investigation.
To hear the full story, Jane encourages listeners to follow "I Am Not Nicholas" on Audible or wherever they get their podcasts, promising further depth in Series One and Two.