Serial fantasist Beech loses his appeal
Fantasist Carl Beech, who made false claims about a VIP paedophile ring, has lost an appeal to have his 18- year prison sentence reduced.
The 52- year-old was jailed at Newcastle Crown Court in July 2019 after he was found guilt y of 12 counts of p er ver ting the course of justice and one of fraud.
Beech falsely claimed that he had been sadistically raped and abused by famous Westminster figures in the 1970s and 1980s.
In a bid to get the former nurse's sentence cut, his barrister, Collingwood Thompson QC, told the Court of Appeal that noone was charged or faced court proceedings as a result of his actions.
Mr Thompson said the "limited nature" of the appeal focused on the part of Beech's sentence for the specific charges of perverting the course of justice.
He said: "If you look at this case, it lacks one aggravating factor, which is that as a result of the false al lega ti ons someone was charged."
But Tony Badenoch QC, who was the prosecutor at Beech's trial, told the court the defendant "traduced reputations" of his victims by making "the most lurid accusations".
Among those falsely accused by Beech were Normandy veteran Field Marsh al Lord Bra mall, who has since died aged 95, the late Lord Brittan and former Tory MP Harvey Proctor. Those he named as supposed "abusers" also included former prime minister Sir Edward Heath, late Lab our MP Greville Janner, disgraced TV star Jimmy Savile, and security chiefs Sir Michael Hanley and Sir Maurice Oldfield, who were the heads of MI5 and MI6 respectively.