Fireman to appeal murder conviction

Paul Gault's body was found at the family home

A senior fire officer from County Down convicted of murdering his former lover's husband is to appeal.

Gordon Graham, 40, was found guilty in November of murdering Paul Gault, 34, who was bludgeoned to death in his Lisburn home in May 2000.

Mr Gault's wife Lesley, 35, a mother of triplets, is facing a retrial on the murder charge after the jury which convicted Graham failed to reach a verdict in her case.

Paul Gault: Murder victim

Lawyers for Graham, from The Granary, Ballygowan, have listed seven grounds in their application for leave to appeal against his conviction and life sentence.

The first claims his conviction was against the weight of the evidence and the others relate to Mr Justice McLaughlin's conduct of the trial and his directions and charge to the jury.

A date has yet to be fixed for a tariff hearing to decide how long Graham must serve in prison before he can be considered for release.

The assistant divisional fire officer was charged along with his former lover Lesley Gault, the victim's wife, who worked at fire service headquarters in Lisburn.