Murderer's appeal bid is rejected

Hall has now twice been refused leave to appeal

A man found guilty of murdering a pensioner during a burglary has been told by a court he cannot appeal against his conviction.

Simon Hall, 26, of Hill House, Ipswich, Suffolk, was given a life sentence in April 2003 for the murder of 79-year-old Joan Albert.

On Thursday, the High Court in London refused Hall's application to appeal against the conviction.

Hall - who has protested his innocence - was told the conviction was safe.

The office worker was found guilty of murdering the pensioner at her home in Capel St Mary - on the Suffolk-Essex border - in December 2001.

Joan Albert was found dead in the hallway of her home

He was sentenced at London's High Court where Mrs Justice Rafferty said Mrs Albert had suffered a "brutal and undignified death".

The pensioner had been stabbed to death.

Hall was brought to trail after black fibres found on Mrs Albert's body matched those found in his wardrobe, bedroom and cars.

He claimed he had been drinking on the night of her death and had been walking around Ipswich sobering up.

It is the second time Hall has been refused leave to appeal.