Rape victim loses damages ruling

Rapist Hoare won the fortune while serving a sentence

A victim of millionaire Lotto rapist Iorworth Hoare has lost an appeal against a ruling that she cannot sue him for compensation.

Serial rapist Hoare from Leeds attacked the woman, known as Mrs A, in 1988. On leave from jail in August 2004 he bought a £7m winning lottery ticket.

A High Court judge on Friday upheld an earlier ruling that the woman's claim fell outside the legal six-year limit.

Mrs A said: "I am not interested in the money. I just want justice."

Her spokesman Eben Black said that her lawyers would appeal against the ruling either to the Court of Appeal or directly to the House of Lords.

Life of luxury

Hoare became a millionaire after buying the ticket on weekend leave from Leyhill prison in South Gloucestershire. He has since been freed.

Mrs A said: "I want him to pay for the distress that he has caused all his victims. He is living a life of luxury and we are all still suffering.

"I don't expect him to be given any financial recompense and he should be paying the state for his own security."

In June, High Court official Master Eyre ruled that the woman's damages claim would fail if the case came to trial on the basis that it was brought more than six years after the assault.

Mr Justice Jack ruled in the High Court on Friday that Mrs A's appeal, in respect of this limitation point, failed.

"In my view, at this stage, it is sufficiently clear that this action is barred by limitation of time and that the Master's order dismissing the action should be upheld."

He said that he hoped to give the full reasons for his decision next week.

It was a most degrading incident and [included] fairly unspeakable acts on the part of Mr Hoare Alan Newman QC

Neither Mrs A nor Hoare were in court.

Mrs A's lawyer Alan Newman QC had told the judge: "We submit that there is something very wrong in the law if Master Eyre is right in what he has done."

Hoare, 52, was jailed for life in May 1989 for trying to rape Mrs A in Roundhay Park, Leeds.

"It was a most degrading incident and [included] fairly unspeakable acts on the part of Mr Hoare," said Mr Newman.

Hoare had previously been convicted of a string of sex attacks, including rape, during the 1970s and 1980s.

Mr Newman said that until his win, Hoare, who had been in prison for much of his life, had no cash assets.

Once Mrs A learned of the win, she realised it was "worthwhile" suing him for the psychiatric damage she had suffered and there was very little delay in issuing her claim in December 2004.