Lotto rapist's victim loses bid to seek compensation

A victim of Lotto rapist Iorworth Hoare today lost her appeal against a ruling that she cannot sue him for compensation.

The 76-year-old former teacher, Mrs A, challenged a decision by a senior High Court official, Master Eyre, in June, that her damages action should be struck out.

The Master had concluded that Hoare was bound to win if the case came to trial because the claim was brought more than six years after the assault occurred.

Mr Justice Jack, at London’s High Court, said that the appeal, in respect of this limitation point, failed.

“In my view, at this stage, it is sufficiently clear that this action is barred by limitation of time and that the Master’s order dismissing the action should be upheld.”

He said that he hoped t give the full reasons for his decision next week.

Neither Mrs A nor Hoare were in court.

Mrs A’s QC, Alan Newman, had told the judge: “We submit that there is something very wrong in the law if Master Eyre is right in what he has done.”

Hoare, 52, was jailed for life in May 1989 for trying to rape Mrs A in Roundhay Park, Leeds, in broad daylight in February 1988.

Mr Newman said: “In the most vicious and disgusting manner he proceeded to sexually assault the claimant.

“It was a most degrading incident involving various private parts of her body and fairly unspeakable acts on the part of Mr Hoare.”

Hoare had previously been convicted of a string of sex attacks, including rape, during the 1970s and 1980s.

He won £7m (€10.2m) after buying a ticket while on weekend leave from Leyhill open prison in Gloucestershire in August last year. He was freed on parole in March.

nder current Home Office guidelines, prisoners on temporary release from jail are allowed to play the lottery and claim any prize.