Charlotte killer appeals sentence

Nicholas Rose: Denied murder

A scaffolder convicted of murdering a 16-year-old Devon girl is to appeal against his conviction.

The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that Nicholas Rose, 23, sentenced to at least 20 years for murdering Charlotte Pinkney, has won leave to appeal.

No date has been set for the appeal by Rose who denied murdering Miss Pinkney last year in Ilfracombe.

The Exeter Crown Court jury deliberated for more than 25 hours before Rose was convicted by a majority of 11 to one.

Boot found

Despite an extensive hunt by police, Charlotte's body has never been found.

The court heard that Rose probably murdered Charlotte during an argument over sex after the pair met at a party in the town in February last year.

The jury heard Charlotte's blood was found on the carpet of a car driven by Rose on the night she went missing.

Some of her blood was also on the tongue of one of Rose's training shoes.

One of the teenager's boots was found on waste ground less than a minute from the scaffolder's home.

Rose said he had not seen Charlotte since he dropped her outside a community centre in Ilfracombe and he denied ever having a sexual relationship with her.