Fantasist drops appeal against his conviction for making false claims about a ‘VIP paedophile ring’ 

The VIP child sex abuse fantasist known as ‘Nick’ has abandoned his appeal against his conviction for lying about the existence of an Establishment paedophile ring.

Carl Beech, 52, conceded defeat after a judge rejected his application to try to overturn the guilty verdicts against him.

He made false allegations against public figures including former Armed Forces chief Lord Bramall, ex-home secretary Leon Brittan, former prime minister Sir Edward Heath and ex-Tory MP Harvey Proctor.

The paedophile – described by trial judge Mr Justice Goss as a ‘resourceful, manipulative and devious person’ – had lodged papers with the Court of Appeal last August, a month after he was jailed for 18 years.

Beech was convicted of 12 counts of perverting the course of justice and one count of fraud after claiming that the men were members of a murderous paedophile ring.

He was also sentenced for voyeurism and for sex offences relating to indecent images of children found on a laptop.

In the wake of his ten-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court, he appealed against his conviction and sentence, but the attempts to clear his name were rejected by a judge sitting in private.

He made false allegations against public figures including former Armed Forces chief Lord Bramall, above, ex-home secretary Leon Brittan, former prime minister Sir Edward Heath and ex-Tory MP Harvey Proctor

Last night it emerged that a Crown Prosecution Service lawyer has confirmed in an email to police that Beech’s ‘application for permission to appeal against conviction, and his application for permission to appeal against sentence, were refused by the single judge’. 

She added: ‘The application for permission to appeal against conviction has not been renewed, and the time within which renewal can be sought has now lapsed.

‘In short, Mr Beech has decided not to pursue an appeal against conviction. He has, however, renewed his application for permission to appeal against sentence.’ 

Three Appeal Court judges will now consider his appeal against his 18-year jail term. 

Beech’s fantastical allegations, supported by former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson, spurred the Metropolitan Police into launching its disastrous Operation Midland investigation, which closed without a single arrest in March 2016.

Prosecutors said that while ruining the lives and legacies of prominent individuals with his wild allegations – which included claims he was tortured with wasps and snakes and had his dog kidnapped by a spy chief – Beech was a ‘committed and manipulative paedophile’.

Sentencing the former nurse, Mr Justice Goss said Beech ‘repeatedly and maliciously told lies to the police’, accusing ‘living persons of the highest integrity and decency of vile acts’.

As a result of the web of lies, the homes of Lord Bramall, Mr Proctor and Lord Brittan were raided by Met officers under the command of Deputy Assistant Commissioner Steve Rodhouse. Key officers have since been accused of acting unlawfully in obtaining the search warrants.

The police watchdog has faced widespread criticism over its ‘whitewash’ inquiry which cleared them of misconduct.

Retired High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques, who wrote a highly critical report into Operation Midland, said that the ‘course of justice was perverted with shocking consequences’.

Last night Mr Proctor told the Daily Mail: ‘I am pleased that Mr Beech has accepted his conviction. On the second issue of his appeal against his sentence, I would warn him that the three Appeal Court judges could increase his jail term or keep it as it is.’

Beech’s fantastical allegations, supported by former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson, spurred the Metropolitan Police into launching its disastrous Operation Midland investigation, which closed without a single arrest in March 2016