Rapist loses verdict appeal

A FORMER city Big Issue seller who was jailed for six years for raping a “childlike” teenager has lost an appeal against his conviction.

Michael Hodgson, 50, trussed up the 17-year-old before sexually assaulting her.

The Crown conceded that evidence from his police interview when he did not have access to a solicitor should not have been heard at his trial.

However, appeal judges yesterday said: “We reject the contention that, had the evidence of the interview been excluded from the trial, there was a real possibility of a different verdict.”