US Supreme Court throws out Conrad Black appeal

The US Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal by Conrad Black against his conviction for obstruction of justice and mail fraud.

Black was once the owner of Hollinger International, a newspaper group which included the Daily Telegraph, Jerusalem Post and Chicago Sun-Times. However, he was convicted in 2007 of defrauding shareholders to the tune of $6m and jailed for six-and-a-half years.

Last July, the former magnate was freed - two years into his term - after a corruption charge with which he was convicted was ruled unconstitutional. In October, Black successfully appealed against two of the other fraud charges of which he was originally convicted, but the court upheld those of obstruction of justice and one count of mail fraud. These are the charges the Supreme Court yesterday refused to overturn.

Black told The Canadian Press: "[The Supreme Court] almost never takes a case back and so its decision was expected. Nor is it a tryer of fact, so its decision today does not imply any agreement with the circuit court's resurrection of two counts, only that it didn't chin itself on our constitutional argument."

Black is currently out on a $2m unsecured bond - put up by philanthropist Roger Hertog - while he awaits re-sentencing for the remaining charges against him.

It is likely he will be returned to prison - and the attorney general wants him to serve his full six-and-a-half years because he refuses to accept responsibility for his crimes. ·