Van Hoogstraten attacks judge and court ruling

PROPERTY tycoon Nicholas van Hoogstraten has called the High Court judge who branded him a murderer an "arsehole" - and hinted he may use violence against his tormentors.

In his first full interview since the ruling, van Hoogstraten said the judgment was "like something out of a fourth-rate novel". He added: "This arsehole of a judge, with one party not being represented and not defending himself. What's the value of that?"

On Monday, Mr Justice Lightman ruled that the 60-year-old millionaire landlord had recruited Robert Knapp and David Croke, two "highly dangerous thugs", to murder a business rival, Mohammed Raja, who was suing him at the time.

"Nothing less than murder would rid Mr van Hoogstraten of this thorn in his flesh," said the judge, who ordered him to pay Mr Raja's surviving relatives £500,000 in interim costs within 14 days. They are seeking total damages of £6 million.

Mr Raja, 62, was shot and stabbed to death in front of his children at his home in the London borough of Sutton. Knapp, 58, and Croke, 62, were jailed for life for the murder in 2002.

Van Hoogstraten was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to ten years in jail, but he appealed and was formally cleared last year.

Speaking from one of his hotels in Hove, Sussex, the developer claimed he had "more important things to do" than to consider the latest judgment and said the Rajas would not receive a penny. He added: "You think it's enforceable, do you? You wouldn't want to put your pension on it."

But van Hoogstraten said he would appeal against the ruling, even though it does not mean he will be re-tried. He insisted he was the victim of "high-level police corruption".

He claimed that Knapp's and Croke's convictions would be overturned because of new evidence that proved the police concealed vital DNA evidence from the defence at their trial.

He said: "This week's judgment was based on the unsustainable convictions of Knapp and Croke. Once those convictions are overturned, everything which flows from them is null and void. It is game over."

Van Hoogstraten said of his reputation: "You think I give a f*** about that? Are you serious? Why should I worry about Joe Public?"

But he would appeal because "if you've just had a battle, you need to go in and clear up the dead bodies".

Alarmingly for Mr Raja's family, he agreed he would also be taking "action other than legal action" against them. Asked what that meant, he said: "I'm not going into details." Van Hoogstraten, who has a number of criminal convictions, refused to answer whether he would harm the Rajas physically.