Rolf begins appeal on two of his convictions

Private ’tecs sift ‘mountain’ of proof

AN appeal by Rolf Harris against two of his child sex abuse convictions will be heard next month, the Sunday Mirror can reveal.

Lawyers for the disgraced star are going to the High Court in a bid to quash two of the dozen offences on his file.

Private investigators hired by Harris, who was freed from jail five months ago, have tracked down people said to be key witnesses – including two police officers who did not appear when he was originally convicted.

The ex-cop leading his team likened the hunt for new proof – which has already cost hundreds of thousands of pounds – to “climbing a huge mountain”.

Cartoonist, singer and TV presenter Harris believes victory would be the first step in clearing his name.

And it might even pave the way for a shock television return, even though he is now 87 and has health problems.

The former Animal Hospital host, who served half of a five-year, ninemonth sentence, has a two-day appeal hearing starting on November 7.

He will not have to appear in person.

It is understood the appeal relates to two different victims, one of whom claimed Harris molested her when she was seven or eight as she tried to get his autograph at a community centre in Havant, Hants.

He was convicted of fondling the other woman when she came to Britain on a school trip from his native Australia aged 15 in 1986.

A source said: “This is the beginning of Rolf ’s campaign appeal. He is challenging two convictions first and wants to carry on with the others later.” Harris is being supported by his loyal wife Alwen, 86, and their daughter Bindi, 53, who both attended every day of his original trial.

Following his conviction he was stripped of a string of honours including a CBE he was awarded by the Queen.

It is understood he is now required to attend parole board meetings and sex offenders’ courses as well as reporting his movements to police.

His chief private investigator William Merritt has led a four-man team for more than two years to scrutinise his convictions. They have studied times, dates, places and other facts relating to his offences, finding what Harris believes is “compelling evidence” to clear his name.

Mr Merritt’s investigative work has already led to the shamed star being cleared of seven separate sex offences at a second trial earlier this year.

Asked if he believed Harris was innocent, he said: “Yes, and I can prove that.”

Mr Merritt also believes Operation Yewtree, set up to investigate historic claims of sex abuse by celebrities following the Jimmy Savile scandal, was a “witchhunt”.

He said: “People were swept along. The standard of the evidence was very low.

“Someone was pulling the strings upstairs and telling them they must get convictions.”

The former New Zealand police detective, dad to three daughters, added: “I have no time for sexual predators.

“But I decided to work with Rolf Harris after I spent about an hour and a half looking through the evidence.”

I decided to work with him after I studied the evidence for 90 minutes WILLIAM MERRITT CHIEF OF INVESTIGATORS’ TEAM