Killer tycoon Nicholas Hoogstraten today lost his first bid for freedom.

Hoogstraten's legal team made an application at London's High Court to secure bail for the jailed millionaire in advance of a full appeal hearing later this year.

In a session behind closed door Mr Justice Pitchers, accepted the one-time slum landlord had an "arguable" case for overturning his conviction for the manslaughter of Mohammed Sabir Raja.

But, in a ruling which will come as a crushing blow to the tycoon's ego, he said his case was no different from scores of others which are waiting to be heard.

Hoogstraten, 58, was jailed for ten years after being found guilty of the unlawful killing of Raja last year.

He has since been held at high-security Belmarsh Prison in London from where he has penned a series of letters to The Argus proclaiming his confidence he would soon be free.

Today Jerome Lynch QC, representing the tycoon, asked for the hearing to take place behind closed doors to avoid "embarrassment" for his client, who was not present.

The judge agreed but gave the reasons for his judgement to the assembled Press afterwards.

He said: "There are arguable grounds of appeal. The Crown will mount a vigorous counter-argument to this argument.

"It is not for this hearing to decide which argument will prevail.

"The appellant is in the same position as scores of others."

The judge said Hoogstraten should remain locked up until the result of the appeal, for which no date has been set, has been decided.

In his latest missive from Belmarsh, Hoogstraten said he was not finding life behind bars too arduous and has been helping other inmates with their cases.

He remained convinced he would be successful when his appeal is heard, saying the trial judge had made a "fatal" misdirection to the jury.

He wrote: "I'm in the high security unit which is a prison within a prison.

"However I'm in with a good bunch - terrorists, multiple gang-type murderers, Yardies and major drug dealers, all alleged.

"The treatment here is humane and the staff are most helpful.

"I do find it frustrating I cannot have personal control of my interests - I have always felt that the limit of my power was the scope of my personal control, so ran everything on a hands-on basis.

"My interests are suffering as a result of my incarceration but as they are all asset based, and with no debt, cannot come to too much harm."

He said: "I miss the countryside and shopping in Tesco for the weekend with the children."

At last year's trial, Hoogstraten, 58, of High Cross, Framfield, was convicted of manslaughter.

The jury ruled he had ordered two men dressed as gardeners to go to Mr Raja's house in Sutton, Surrey in July 1999 to shoot and stab the grandfather to death.