Hippy escapes extradition

A French court yesterday refused to extradite a hippy leader convicted of murdering his girlfriend in Pennsylvania. Ira Einhorn, 57, who has been on the run since 1981, may still be deported to the US for entering, and staying in, France under a false passport.

An appeal court in Bordeaux dismissed the extradition request on the grounds that Einhorn had been tried in absentia in the US in 1993.

Einhorn, who was arrested in in June, appeared in the court in Angouleme in white beard, faded jeans and blue shirt. When the judgement was read out, he said simply: "Thank you".

He was a celebrated leader of the 1960s hippy movement and has denied murdering his girlfriend Hellen Maddux.