A PARTNER at a prestigious Chester clothes shop began an eight-year jail sentence last Friday after being convicted of raping a young boy.

Richard Steele Watson, 42, of Wycliffe Court, Chester, a partner of Sartori, has already lodged an appeal against his conviction.

His shocked friends and colleagues claim his conviction was a miscarriage of justice and have vowed to stand by him.

Watson's solicitor, Andrew Shaw, of Walker Smith and Way, said: 'There is widespread support for my client. We have already lodged an appeal and will push it through at the earliest opportunity.'

A spokesman for Sartori, who did not wish to be named, said: 'We are all very shocked. This is a terrible miscarriage of justice and we fully support Mr Watson, as do many others outside the company.'

Watson was jailed last week after a nine-day trial in Chester Crown Court.

His co-defendant and former sales assistant at the store in the Grosvenor Shopping Centre, Richard Anthony Partridge, 24, of Denbigh Street, Chester, was acquitted.

Both men were accused of raping a primary school pupil in a hotel room following a trip to Alton Towers on October 25, 2001, after they had been drinking heavily. The jury cleared them of this charge.

Watson, however, was found guilty of raping the same boy on a date between June 1 and October 22, 2001.

During a video interview the victim said he had suffered nightmares since the incident and had received counselling.

He said an attack took place in a hotel room while his friend slept next door.

'I tried to stop it but I wasn't strong enough,' said their boy. 'I was very scared.'

The jury spent more than two days considering its verdict and was eventually told by Judge Elgan Edwards it could reach a majority verdict of 10-2 or 11-1.

Watson sobbed and held a handkerchief to his face after the verdict was announced.

Peter Rouch QC, defending Watson, immediately informed the court an appeal would be lodged. Judge Edwards, Honorary Recorder of Chester, refused Mr Rouch's application to release Watson on bail until the appeal was heard.

Sentencing Watson, the judge said he had taken into account all the good things that had been said about him.

'But this was a gross breach of trust,' he said. 'The minimum sentence I can impose is one of eight years imprisonment.'

He said Watson would have to be placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

The Chronicle would like to apologise to Patrick Harrington QC for misspelling his name in last week's report of this case and for omitting the letters QC after his name.