A woman sentenced to life imprisonment has won leave to appeal against her conviction for murdering her husband.

But 34 year-old Karen McDonnell, from Moorfields, near Ballymena in County Antrim will now have to face a retrial.

Three Court of Appeal judges in Belfast ruled that as defence lawyers intended to call two medical experts to give evidence that she was suffering from wife battering syndrome the best course would be to grant the appeal and order a retrial.

Soldier stabbed

Mrs McDonnell, was convicted at Antrim Crown Court in April, 1998, of murdering her husband Joe McDonnell, a Lance Corporal in the Royal Irish Regiment whom she had married a year earlier.

The trial jury was told that he was stabbed to death during a late night drunken row.

She claimed her husband ran onto a kitchen knife as he came at her but the Crown argued that she deliberately stabbed him in the chest.

Medical witnesses

The Lord Chief Justice, Sir Robert Carswell, sitting with Lord Justice Nicholson and Mr Justice Kerr, said the court had been furnished with reports by Dr Gillian Mezey and Dr Janet Harbinson, consultant forensic psychiatrists, whom he described as distinguished members of their profession.

He said their evidence about wife battering syndrome would turn very largely on the weight which could be attributed to statements made at different times by Mrs McDonnell.

"That is something an appellate court cannot attempt to resolve and the only way in which it can be properly resolved is sending the matter for a retrial before another jury," said Sir Robert.

Mrs McDonnell was taken back to prison to await the new trial next month.