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'Now I want justice for my family'

Hayley Gyllenspetz
10/08/2001

One man who saw behind the image of Forster as an elderly and harmless man was Ricky Smith, wrongly branded an evil rapist by the poison pen author.

Mr Smith is now planning to sue Forster for making his life a nightmare for 13 years.

Father-of-four Mr Smith, 39, was left stigmatised as Forster circulated letters and leaflets falsely accusing him of rape and of being a jobless benefit scrounger.

Yesterday, Mr Smith was celebrating the verdict and planning his next move.

He said: "Forster deserves everything he gets for what he put me and my family through. What harm had we ever caused him? "He ruined mine and my family's life for 13 years to the point we felt like prisoners in our own home.

"Now I'm taking legal advice because I want to sue him for defaming my character."

Shirley Dodd, 57, whose son Jeremy, then aged 11, was first accused of being the poison pen letter writer and who herself received obscene mail, said she was also considering whether to sue Forster.

She said last night: "I certainly won't be leaving Manfield - Forster won't drive me out of the village."

Another of Forster's victim, Val Kellett, 61, was in court for the verdict. She said: "My basic reaction is delight. I hope it's the end of the nightmare. I'm so pleased my first reaction was to cry.

"We were frightened that if he got off he would have started again. I just wanted to see him go off in handcuffs."

Mrs Kellett added: "Forster's supposed to be a church person - that was one of the strongest things in his defence.

"I couldn't believe he could use such language and think in such terms."

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