A rapist who cost the taxpayer nearly £12,500 in a bid to clear his name has vowed he will not rest until he gets justice.
Former golf professional Graham Gordon was jailed in 2002 after he was found guilty of raping a woman he met in an Aberdeen nightclub.
Prosecutors claimed that he attacked the woman after taking her back to his Bridge of Don home.
But former Bon Accord Golf Club champion Gordon has always maintained his innocence and has made a string of attempts to clear his name.
Earlier this month, his latest appeal was unanimously rejected by the Supreme Court, but Gordon has now said he is committed to taking the case to the European Court of Human rights in Strasbourg.
Figures obtained by the Press and Journal reveal that Gordon’s legal aid bill for his appeal alone has so far reached £12,438 from the public purse.
And last night north-east MSP Ross Thomson said he believes the public should be concerned that so much taxpayers money has gone towards Gordon’s bid.
He said: “He has gone through the whole system, right through to the Supreme Court, and has been knocked back at every single stage.
“However, we do need to make sure that everyone has the option of appeal, and to go as far as the Supreme Court to do so, because that is the way we have a fair legal system.
“There is good reason we have due process and the right to appeal, it is part of being in a liberal democracy.
“I think the public will be rightfully concerned that so much of their money has been wasted in pursuing this.”
The 56-year-old was convicted at the High Court in Stonehaven and served three years and four months of a five-year sentence.
Since then he has made several attempts to clear his name and claims he was the victim of a miscarriage of justice.
Although the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) has admitted there “may” have been a miscarriage of justice, it has refused to reopen the case or refer it back to the Court of Appeal.
The commission ruled it did not feel the move was in the interests of justice, given the amount of time that had passed.
Last year Gordon, who now lives in Westhill, unsuccessfully sued the SCCRC and Scottish Government for close to £700,000, alleging “gross negligence” in the way his case for an appeal had been handled.
In its ruling last month, the court confirmed that, during an interview with the police Gordon asserted that sex was with the complainant’s consent.
It said: “His answers provided the necessary corroboration for the charge of rape to be indicted for trial.
“He had been offered the opportunity to inform a solicitor the interview was being conducted, but not the opportunity to consult with a solicitor before answering the police’s questions.
“He maintains that he has suffered a miscarriage of justice, and has made several applications to the respondent to refer his case to the High Court.”
However, his appeal was unanimously rejected by the court.
Last night, Gordon said the public cash that has been spent on his legal aid is necessary, and his mother explained his family has spent more than £80,000 on their efforts to clear his name.
He also added he has received a report from a forensic expert highlighting concerns relating to the case.
Gordon said: “Everybody is entitled to a fair trial.
“The SCCRC has decided that I may have suffered a miscarriage of justice, but do not believe it is in the public interest to refer me back to the appeal court.
“How can there possibly be anything certain or final about a person who may have suffered a miscarriage of justice?
“I will not rest until I get justice. It’s one big whitewash.
“This is not the end of the matter, it will now go to Strasbourg within the next five months.”
Last night, the Scottish Legal Aid Board said financial assistance was an “essential part” of the justice system.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Legal Aid Board said: “The legislation allows for solicitors to be paid to represent someone who is eligible for legal aid in appeal proceedings, which are an essential part of the justice system.”
