Gordon Anglesea 'to consider' child sex convictions appeal

An artist's impression of Gordon Anglesea during the trial

A former north Wales police chief found guilty of historical child sex offences is to consult with his lawyers over appealing against his convictions.

Gordon Anglesea, 79, from Old Colwyn, was convicted of one indecent assault against one boy and three indecent assaults against another on Friday.

He was bailed pending sentence on 4 November.

A source within his defence team said: "Of course we will appeal. He is an innocent man."

Convicted on four charges, Anglesea was found not guilty of an alternative count of serious sexual assault at the end of a six week trial at Mold Crown Court.

He was told by Judge Geraint Walters "there can only be one sentence and that is a prison sentence".

Anglesea, a former superintendent in the Wrexham area, had denied the charges, with his defence funded by the Police Federation.

He claimed the allegations were simply "lies and inventions" but he was disbelieved by the jury.

The Crown Prosecution Service Wales said he had been in "a position of power and authority" in order to "prey on very young and vulnerable victims", with North Wales Police apologising to his victims.

In 1994, Anglesea was awarded £375,000 in libel damages after media organisations ran stories about his links to abuse at children's homes in north Wales.

Private Eye was among the publications sued by Anglesea.

Speaking after the verdicts were returned, its editor Ian Hislop said he had taken a "certain grim satisfaction" in justice having eventually been done, but confirmed the satirical magazine did not intend to revisit the libel case.