A British man is to face trial a second time on a charge of murdering his teenage foster daughter more than seven years ago.
Three Court of Appeal judges today quashed Mr Sion Jenkins's original 1998 conviction as "unsafe" but directed that a new jury must now decide whether he killer Billie-Jo Jenkins.
Billie Jo Jenkins
Mr Jenkins, sitting in the dock, showed no emotion as the judges announced their decision.
The ruling means that, in the eyes of the law, Mr Jenkins (46) is again "innocent until proved guilty".
Mr Jenkins, a former deputy headteacher, was convicted at Lewes Crown Court in June 1998 of battering his 13-year-old foster daughter to death with an 18-inch metal tent spike as she was painting a patio door at their home in Hastings, East Sussex, on February 15th, 1997. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Lord Justice Rose, Mr Justice Curtis and Mr Justice Wakerley ruled that his conviction was "unsafe" in the light of fresh scientific evidence. Lord Justice Rose said it was in the public interest for the case to be heard by a new jury.
The retrial order came after a nine-day appeal hearing in which the judges heard a mass of fresh evidence and legal argument.
Lord Justice Rose said: "The offence of murder here alleged is of the gravest and in our judgment the public interest requires that a jury should decide the matter on the basis of all the evidence now available to the extent that it is called at retrial by the prosecution or defence."