Rapist loses bid to overturn convictions

AN Oldham sex beast jailed for the rape of a young woman will remain in jail.

Pub landlord Paul Garforth failed to convince top judges that fresh evidence meant his convictions should be quashed.

Garforth (56) molested and groped his victim before raping her in her sleep during sickening abuse that left her traumatised.

He was jailed for nine years for rape and five counts of indecent assault at Manchester Crown Court in April 2011.

Now three senior judges at London’s Appeal Court have rejected his challenge against conviction on the ground that new forensic evidence rendered them unsafe.

When Garforth was arrested in 2010 he said the allegations were false, the result of misunderstanding and “straight-forward dishonesty” by his victim.

A forensic expert recovered traces of Garforth’s sperm and cells “a billion times” more likely to be the victim’s than someone else’s, from boxer shorts worn by him.

The scientific evidence was “neutral” over Garforth’s guilt: it couldn’t rule out the possibility pf accidental transfer. But the jury found him guilty.

Appeal barrister Vanessa Thompson said another forensic report cast doubt on the guilty verdicts.

But Lady Justice Hallet, sitting with Mr Justice Ouseley and Judge Nicholas Cooke QC, said the new evidence - more helpful to prosecutors than the defence - was inadmissable.