CONVICTED rapist Trevor Masters had his application for bail rejected by a French court yesterday.
Masters, 49, (pictured) who is originally from Blaen-avon, fled to France in August 2000 during his trial at Cardiff crown court, sparking an international manhunt.
Masters was convicted in his absence of nine separate sexual and violent assaults, including rape, and given a 12-year jail sentence.
Police in the French town of Pau arrested him last summer after he had spent almost a year on the run. He had been living in the town with his girlfriend.
Masters is now in custody awaiting extradition to Brit-ain but has been fighting the process from his prison cell.
His lawyer, Claude Garcia, has now said that an appeal court in Bordeaux had refused to grant Masters bail during a hearing.
"The court in Bordeaux rejected our application for bail on Tuesday during an appeal hearing," said Mr Garcia.
"The final decree on his extradition will be issued from a court in Paris around Christmas time.
"Until then he will continue to appeal against the decision to grant the extradition."
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