Nevin appeal to be heard next year

The Court of Criminal Appeal will not hear an appeal lodged by Catherine Nevin against her murder conviction until January at…

The Court of Criminal Appeal will not hear an appeal lodged by Catherine Nevin against her murder conviction until January at the earliest.

It has been confirmed by the court that Nevin lodged notice to appeal against her conviction on June 21st and subsequently submitted her appeal papers.

She was jailed for life in March for the murder of her husband, Tom, in Jack White's Inn in 1996. In June she was also given three concurrent seven-year sentences for soliciting men to kill him.

However, it is understood the Nevin appeal will not be included in cases to be allocated a date when lists for the first term of the Court of Criminal Appeal are drawn up next Monday.

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Parts of the transcript of evidence from the lengthy trial have still not been submitted to the court. The earliest date will be January next year when dates for the second court term are allocated.

At sentencing proceedings in June, Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, for Nevin, requested a certificate for leave to appeal the murder conviction but this was refused by Ms Justice Carroll.

Mr MacEntee said there were "numerous grounds" for an appeal, including the fact that the jury had been contaminated by media reports and the prosecution had failed to make adequate discovery of documents relating to possible IRA connections with the Nevin pub.