Glitter to appeal three-year molestation sentence

FORMER rocker Gary Glitter has decided to appeal his three-year sentence for child molestation.

Glitter, 61, whose real name is Paul Francis Gadd, was found guilty of committing obscene acts with a 10-year-old girl and an 11-year-old girl at his rented seaside villa last year in southern Vietnam.

He was convicted and sentenced on March 3 by a court in Vung Tau province.

"He told me he was innocent, so he has to appeal to clear this matter," said lawyer Le Thanh Kinh.

Mr Kinh said he met with Glitter at Phuoc Co prison yesterday and that the former signed the appeal petition, which will be forwarded to the appeals court in Ho Chi Minh City.

Glitter has maintained his innocence throughout the case, and threw the court into disarray, after the sentencing, by shouting his denials as police escorted him from the court.

In its verdict, the court cited graphic testimony from the girls that Glitter had fondled and molested them many times in his villa and in nearby hotels.

The court said Glitter would be deported from Vietnam to Britain after serving his sentence. He was also ordered to pay compensation of 5 million dong (€258) to each girl's family as well as court fees.

Glitter will be eligible for parole in November, a year after he was originally detained at Ho Chi Minh City's airport while trying to leave the country.

Mr Kinh said his client appeared to be in good spirits.

"Now he's OK. During the sentencing, he did not look good, but now he is OK. Yesterday, he was joking with me," Kinh said.

An appeals trial would likely not be set until three or four months from now, he said.