Brutal killer of widow loses appeal against his conviction

A MAN serving life for the brutal murder of a 91-year-old widow in a botched robbery at her home has lost his appeal against conviction.

Margaret Irvine was killed at her flat in Galston, Ayrshire, on 28 September, 2003. The pensioner, who lived alone, was bound and beaten, before a duster was shoved into her mouth.

Patrick Docherty, 46, and his co-accused, Brendan Dixon, 41, were convicted of her murder and ordered to spend at least 25 years behind bars.

The pair appealed against their convictions last year, claiming they did not get a fair trial.

But three senior judges at the Court of Appeal in Edinburgh yesterday threw out Docherty's challenge to his conviction.

Lady Paton, sitting with Lord Carloway and Lord Mackay of Drumadoon, told Dixon they had rejected six of the grounds of appeal put forward on his behalf. They had not yet reached a decision on two remaining grounds of appeal. Those grounds, which centre on how a police interview was conducted, will be considered at a later date. Appeals against sentence for both men will also be heard in the future.

During the 2005 trial at the High Court in Kilmarnock, the jury heard that Docherty and Dixon had broken into Mrs Irvine's home in Barward Road before murdering her.

She was found lying on her bed by her home-help hours after she was killed.

Trial judge Lord Hardie said the "wickedly reckless and truly evil" crime was "beyond the comprehension of all decent people".