A man fighting extradition back to Poland for violent jewellery robberies has failed in a new bid to have his case determined by the UK's highest court.
Piotr Kaim has been locked in a legal battle to serve out his jail sentence in Northern Ireland.
High Court judges in Belfast have already dismissed his bid to remain bars in this jurisdiction, stressing the need to prevent the UK being seen as a safe haven for fugitives.
They also declined to refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Following that ruling last month Kaim applied to certify a point of law of general public importance for a further appeal to the Supreme Court in London.
But Lord Justice Stephens has now held that a procedural question being posed does not require clarification.
He confirmed: "The application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court is refused."
It represents a further blow in the wanted man's attempts to avoid extradition.
Kaim carried out at least four attacks on women on dates stretching back to 2012, the court heard.
He targeted victims by holding their faces and blocking their noses and mouths in order to steal jewellery.
Other women were grabbed around the neck and threatened as part of attempts to snatch their belongings.
In 2014 Kaim was ordered to serve two and a half years in prison for the offences.
But later that year he moved to Northern Ireland, by which stage he still had nearly two years left to serve on the term.
Extradition proceedings commenced by Polish authorities led to Kaim being detained in October 2019 under a European Arrest Warrant.
In November last year Belfast Recorder Judge McFarland ordered his return to Poland.
Kaim mounted a High Court appeal against that decision, claiming a failure to allow him to exercise his right to seek to serve the sentence in Northern Ireland.
His lawyers also contended that it was disproportionate to return him to Poland before his bid to remain behind bars in this jurisdiction was determined.
However, senior judges identified no strong, compelling factor to outweigh an otherwise "inevitable extradition".