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Hate mail writer's appeal bid fails

Efforts by the infamous Manfield poison pen letter writer to clear his name have hit a major setback.

The Royal Courts of Justice last night confirmed James Forster's application to appeal against his conviction had been rejected by a single senior judge.

However, Forster has already made a second attempt to have his conviction overturned, two months after he was jailed for terrorising his neighbours.

The courts confirmed the 68-year-old retired Open University lecturer had renewed his application to be heard by a trio of judges next year.

The news came on the day Forster is believed to have walked free from prison, having completed his jail sentence for conducting the 12-year hate campaign, which brought the North Yorkshire village to the attention of the nation's media.

Forster was handed a four month jail sentence by Teesside Crown Court in October after a jury found him guilty of the crimes of correspondence which terrorised Manfield, near Darlington.

He was also ordered to pay £3,000 prosecution costs, and his own legal bill was expected to top £10,000.

Having served two months, villagers said they had heard he was due for release yesterday, but he was not at either of his homes, Kirk Lea and Four Oaks, in the village when The Northern Echo called.

Forster was convicted of sending a barrage of more than 200 obscene and threatening letters and leaflets and terrorising an elderly woman, as well as incitement to burgle.

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