Fugitive rapist to appeal

Trevor Masters was jailed in March

Convicted rapist Trevor Masters has been given leave appeal against his 12-year jail sentence it emerged on Wednesday.

Lawyers representing 50-year-old Masters, from Blaenavon, south east Wales, have won the right for him to appeal against the convictions for nine separate sexual and violent assault charges on women and girls.

Masters was jailed in March following an international manhunt after he jumped bail in August 2000 as Cardiff Crown Court jurors considered their verdicts.

In his absence, Masters was convicted of rape, three counts of actual bodily harm, three indecent assaults and two attempted serious sexual offences against a woman and two children.

After a two-year extradition fight, Masters, originally from Herefordshire, was brought back to Britain following his arrest in Pau, south west France.

Judges

His case will now be formally reviewed after lawyers secured the right to appeal even though it must normally be lodged within 28 days of sentencing.

If the application is successful, a retrial could be ordered.

"The situation was complicated by the fact that he did a runner," said Oliver Haswell, of the Crown Prosecution Service in Newport.

"As I understand it, he went through the usual process and his legal team has obviously persuaded a judge that leave for an appeal should be granted.

"In effect, at some point in the next few months his team will take a full appeal to the Court of Appeal.

"They can now ask for a number of days to be set aside for a hearing before three judges.

"They will review the case and may well turn round at the end of it and say there are no grounds for a retrial or it may be granted," he added.