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 The BBC's Peter Gould"They found dozens of tiny blood stains"  real 28k  |
Billie-Jo murder: Evidence 'inaccurate'
Sion Jenkins is questioning medical evidence |
Vital scientific evidence which helped convict former deputy headmaster Sion Jenkins of murdering his foster daughter, Billie-Jo, was "inaccurate" said lawyers at the start of his appeal.
Three Court of Appeal judges have been asked to hear new evidence of tests which Jenkins' legal team believe contradict the original prosecution case.
Teenager Billie-Jo was found dead at her home |
The Lewes Crown Court jury, which convicted Jenkins last year of beating the 13-year-old to death with a metal tent spike at the family home in Hastings, East Sussex, had been told the blood spots could only have resulted from Jenkins being close to the girl as she was being struck.
Prosecution experts said Billie-Jo must have died during the brutal attack and would not have still been alive 15 minutes later, when Jenkins claimed to have "discovered" her body.
One witness insisted that a dying person's breath could not have produced the spotting.
"This turns out to be inaccurate," Anthony Scrivener QC, for Jenkins, told the appeal judges.
Jenkins, 41, jailed for life by Mr Justice Gage in July last year, is asking the court to quash his conviction in the light of fresh evidence and on the grounds that the trial judge's directions to the jury on the highly complex scientific evidence were inadequate.
He is backed by a support campaign, Justice for Sion Jenkins.
Channel 4's Trial and Error programme has also suggested he might not have been responsible for the killing.
The programme pointed to sightings of a mentally disturbed local man on the day of the murder.
The appeal hearing, before Lord Justice Kennedy, Mr Justice Dyson and Mr Justice Penry-Davy, is expected to last seven days.
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27 Nov 99 | UK |
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Murdered girl's father petitions Blair |
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16 Sep 99 | UK |
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Doubt over Billie-Jo killer's conviction |
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17 Jun 99 | UK |
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Murdered girl's father refused compensation |
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03 Jul 98 | UK |
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Billie-Jo mother considers suing |
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02 Jul 98 | UK |
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Sion Jenkins convicted of Billie-Jo murder |
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02 Jul 98 | UK |
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Relief at Billie-Jo guilty verdict |
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02 Jul 98 | UK |
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Billie-Jo: a shocking crime |
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