Convicted killer's retrial hope

Cynthia Bolshaw was found face down in the bath at her home

The discovery of missing police files may mean a retrial for a man convicted 10 years ago of killing his lover in Wirral in 1983, a solicitor says.

John Taft, the managing director of a double glazing firm, was jailed for life for killing Cynthia Bolshaw, 50.

It was dubbed the "Beauty in the Bath" case after Mrs Bolshaw was found face down in the bath at her Heswall home.

Solicitor David Kirwan said the files raised "enormous questions", but police said their investigation was thorough.

Mrs Bolshaw, a divorcee who worked as a beauty consultant, kept diaries containing the names of up to 200 men, Taft's trial at Liverpool Crown Court in November 1999 heard.

Mr Taft has always maintained his innocence David Kirwan

Hundreds of men were DNA-tested after advances in forensic science techniques led police to reopen the case.

Mr Kirwan said forensic files which had been thought lost at the time of Taft's trial have been found by the Forensic Science Service and handed over to the defence team.

Taft, now aged 58, admitted he had been with Mrs Bolshaw on the night she died on 9 October 1983, but has always maintained he did not kill her.

Mr Kirwan said the most crucial discovery in the recovered forensic files relates to the time of Mrs Bolshaw's death.

'Determined' campaign

Taft's trial heard she died at 2230 BST, when he admitted he was at her bungalow, but among the files are suggestions by police experts that she may have died some time around 0400 BST on the following morning - long after Taft had departed.

His campaign for a retrial is supported by his second wife Susan, to whom he had only been married 19 days when police arrived at their house to question him over the death of Mrs Bolshaw.

Mr Kirwan said: "These documents which have very recently been disclosed to us have the potential to raise enormous questions about the conduct of the police investigation.

"Mr Taft has always maintained his innocence, in fact he would have won his parole by now had it not been for the fact that he is determined to clear his name."

The jury heard all the evidence and passed a majority guilty verdict Merseyside Police spokesman

Mr Kirwan said he hoped to be able to seek leave to appeal against Taft's conviction "within months".

He added: "Fundamental mistakes were made both before and during the trial which meant that a lot of vital evidence was simply not presented to the jury."

A Merseyside Police spokesman said: "Following a thorough and professional police investigation the case was put before the courts.

"The jury heard all the evidence and passed a majority guilty verdict.

"A number of applications for leave to appeal against the conviction have since been considered by Appeal Court judges, who have concluded that there is nothing to suggest the verdict was unsafe."