Serial killer John Cooper begins appeal attempt (From Western Telegraph)

Serial killer John Cooper begins appeal attempt

4:25pm Wednesday 17th October 2012 in News

A pensioner who was found guilty of four murders in Pembrokeshire was today (Wednesday) beginning an attempt to appeal against his convictions.

Former farm labourer John William Cooper was imprisoned for life for the brutal slaying of brother and sister Richard and Helen Thomas at Scoveston in 1985 and the coast path 'executions' of husband and wife Peter and Gwenda Dixon four years later.

Cooper had always denied the offences but was found guilty by a jury in Swansea in May 2011 after an eight week trial.

The jury was shown evidence revealed by modern forensic techniques - including DNA evidence - which had not been available to the original investigations.

Cooper today began a renewed application to permission to appeal against the murders.

Cooper's defence team argued that the trial jury was profoundly misdirected by the judge in his summing up in relation to evidence used to convict Cooper in a previous trial.

The case was being heard by the Criminal Court of Appeal sitting at Cardiff Crown Court.

The Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge said he will reserve judgement on the appeal application until 31 October.