Cot death father's release hopes

Families have been torn apart by cot death cases

A father jailed for life for murdering his own child is waiting to hear whether his conviction will be re-examined, after the Court of Appeal cleared a mother of killing her two baby sons.

Following her acquittal earlier this week, more than 250 cases in which parents were convicted of killing their babies are to be reviewed.

The decision has brought hope to a couple in Monmouthshire, whose baby son died unexpectedly.

The child's 40-year-old father - who cannot be named for legal reasons protecting the identity of another child - was jailed in March last year.

> There been no suspicion of foul play when his six-month-old son died unexpectedly.

But after his second child became ill, he found himself on trial for murder.

His wife has told BBC Wales that she is now optimistic about a potential review.

"I am more convinced than ever that he was not responsible," she said.

People shouldn't assume that, just because a person is in prison, they are guilty Wife of convicted 'killer'

A series of high-profile miscarriages of justice has discredited cot death expert Professor Roy Meadow, who also gave evidence in the her husband's case.

Now the couple hope that he, too, may be freed.

The review of cot death jailings is giving priority to the 54 parents still in prison.

"Over the last couple of months, people have been coming up to me and saying, 'Were the same experts involved in your case?', "she said.

"People shouldn't assume that, just because a person is in prison, they are guilty."

The woman has stood by her husband throughout and says she is totally convinced of his innocence.

Their first baby died in 1998. He had had a history of health problems and initially there were no suspicions at all that it was anything but a natural death.

Nurse's evidence

It was only after the couple's second baby, born a year later, developed breathing problems, and was rushed to hospital where he stayed for two months, that staff became suspicious.

A nurse gave evidence at his trial that she saw him trying to smother the child in hospital - an allegation which he always strenuously denied.

The man was convicted at Cardiff Crown Court of the murder and attempted murder in December 2002 and sentenced last March. He has since applied for leave to appeal.

His wife says there are men, like her husband, in jail for similar crimes but she is worried that the courts have a different attitude to them.

"I feel my husband has more of an uphill battle to fight because he is a man, because the courts view him differently.

"With a man they're almost a murderer, brutal, a dangerous person, yet the circumstances are very similar."

However, the woman, who has recently been reunited with the couple's surviving son, said she was optimistic about her husband's case.

"At the end of the day, to be honest, all my husband and I want to know is why our baby died."

The father's case is now being reviewed by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

A judge is also expected to come to a decision within three weeks on whether to allow his appeal.