He Sentence Of A Convicted Paedophile Was Upheld After The Court Of Appeal Ruled That He Did Not Have "an Unfair Trial".>

THE sentence of a convicted paedophile was upheld after the Court of Appeal ruled that he did not have "an unfair trial".

Roger Gleaves, 66, from Northumberland Park, Tottenham, was sentenced to 15 years at the Old Bailey last March after being convicted of raping two 14-year-old boys.

Lord Justice Swinton-Thomas dismissed claims that publicity given to the case by the News of the World prior to the hearing affected the outcome.

Mr Gleaves was convicted of rape, attempted rape, incitement of one boy to rape another and three charges of indecent assault, between 1996 and 1997.

Boys as young as eight regularly attended first-aid classes given by Gleaves.

The two boys who were sexually abused had stayed overnight with Gleaves with the permission of their parents.

He was first exposed as a paedophile in a 1970s television documentary who investigated the plight of youngsters ending up on the streets after travelling to London from the north.

Mr Gleaves styled himself as the Bishop of Medway, a title he took from his involvement with the breakaway Old Catholic Church.

Appealing against the conviction, Mr Alan Fraser, for Gleaves, told the court that one or more jurors could have read an article in the News of the World in February 1997.

He said that "the extent of publicity and wide circulation of the News of the World, was contrary to the staying power of publicity as even notoriety is limited."

Lord Justice Swinton-Thomas said that the trial judge had told the jury the case depended "totally on the evidence" and the appellant did have a fair trial.

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