Wife's murder conviction referred to appeal court

The conviction of a woman who was jailed for murdering her husband with a lodger will be referred to the Court of Appeal.

Nigel Wright, 64, died after he was beaten to death in his living room at a flat on Park Road in Peterborough in May 2020.

Melanie Wright and her lodger, Barry Chapman, were later found guilty of murder at Peterborough Crown Court.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), a miscarriage of justice body, said that the case should be reviewed because post-trial evidence "undermines the credibility of a prosecution witness".

Wright was jailed for life with a minimum term of 14 years at Peterborough Crown Court in 2022.

Chapman was also convicted of murder and jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 years.

The prosecution's case was that Chapman, previously of Paynels in Orton Goldhay, had attacked Mr Wright, but that his wife had also joined in.

At the time of the trial, the court heard things became tense during lockdown while Mr Wright was shielding.

Announcing the decision on Tuesday, the CCRC said the witness had been important to the case and could have affected the jury's decision.

The Court of Appeal will review the case.

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