TOKYO (AFP) - - A Japanese court on Tuesday convicted a serial rapist of abducting and mutilating the body of bar hostess Lucie Blackman, in a reversal that brought long-awaited relief to her parents.

But the court did not convict wealthy former property developer Joji Obara of killing Blackman, who was 21 years old when she vanished in Tokyo's seedy Roppongi bar district in 2000.

Blackman had gone to work in Japan to save money for a holiday to Australia. After a seven-month search, her dismembered body was discovered by the sea outside the Japanese capital.

Her slaying triggered a storm of media coverage in Britain and even a personal appeal by then prime minister Tony Blair to find her killer.

Overturning a lower court decision, the Tokyo High Court on Tuesday found Obara guilty of Blackman's abduction and of abandoning and mutilating her body.

Obara, 56, was last year sentenced to a life term for raping nine other women and causing the death of one of them, Australian Carita Ridgway, and there was no change to his sentence after Tuesday's ruling.

Blackman's mother, Jane Steare, was visibly emotional as she heard the verdict.

"This has been a harrowing ordeal, not just for today, but for over eight years. But at last we have two guilty verdicts and a life sentence for the crimes Obara committed against my wonderful Lucie," she told reporters later.

"It was very, very harrowing to listen to all the events, of what happened to Lucie," she said. "But I'm pleased with the result today."

In Britain, the victim's father Tim Blackman also voiced "delight" at the verdict.

"Although the result is not the absolute decision we had hoped for it is still an obvious recognition of guilt," he said.

Obara, wearing a dark grey suit, occasionally wiped sweat off his brow with a handkerchief as he listened to the judge.

"There is no room for any leniency as the defendant trampled on the rights of many victims to fulfil his desires," Tokyo High Court judge Hiroshi Kadono said.

In Blackman's case, "his actions of damaging and abandoning her body were ruthless and did not even give the slightest consideration to her dignity," he said.

Obara was not charged with first-degree murder -- which would have made him eligible for the death penalty -- but with a lesser charge of causing her death.

Blackman's mother said she would leave it up to prosecutors whether to appeal the not-guilty verdict over her daughter's death.

A lawyer for Obara said separately that the defence would decide whether to appeal to the Supreme Court after meeting with Obara.

Obara preyed on bar hostesses, drugging them with chloroform, a colourless drug used as an anaesthetic in the 19th century.

The Tokyo District Court said last year there was insufficient evidence to prove any charges related to Blackman.

After an appeals trial, the Tokyo High Court found that Obara abducted Blackman and abandoned and mutilated her body. But it said it could not prove that the Tokyo businessman caused her death.

"The court believes the defendant kidnapped her with the intention of drugging and raping her," the judge said, but added there was no way to prove he carried out his plan.

Unlike with other victims, Obara is not known to have videotaped Blackman. Investigators had found videos he made of his rapes of other victims.

Both sides had appealed against the earlier verdict -- Obara wanted to clear his name over the death of Ridgway and wanted lesser punishments for the rapes.

Obara's earlier acquittal by the district court in the Blackman case was especially surprising as nearly 99 percent of people brought to trial in Japan are convicted -- a rate that has alarmed human rights groups and legal experts.

Japanese prosecutors generally drop cases when they believe there is insufficient evidence.

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