LAWYERS representing a murder-accused former Suffolk police officer have today made a bid to have his case thrown out.Michael Cheong, 42, of Peterhouse Crescent, Woodbridge, is accused of killing Brian Spencer in the Linden Highway area of Guyana on August 4, 1982.

LAWYERS representing a murder-accused former Suffolk police officer have today made a bid to have his case thrown out.

Michael Cheong, 42, of Peterhouse Crescent, Woodbridge, is accused of killing Brian Spencer in the Linden Highway area of Guyana on August 4, 1982.

The 23-year-old suffered 22 pellet wounds after an alleged incident involving Cheong's then wife, Sandra, and another woman. Some of the pellets were found lodged in his back and buttocks.

The case came to light after a "tip off" to British police, more than 20 years after the incident.

This was despite an investigation at the time by the Guyanan authorities, which concluded no criminal offence had taken place.

Cheong's defence team are now set to argue there has been an abuse of process in the probe into the 22-year-old crime, although the grounds on which the claim is being made are not known.

Judges sitting at the Old Bailey in London will consider their application on July 15.

Today's development follows a previous bid to have the charge dismissed, made by Cheong's legal advisers in February.

Although this failed, Cheong has protested his innocence to The Evening Star in an exclusive interview and denied committing the crime.

Father-of-two Cheong, who served in Ipswich as a police constable, is also a former Royal Engineer who served in Iraq in the first Gulf war in 1991.

He has been suspended from duty as a police officer since being arrested on November 10, 2003.

His trial is still scheduled to begin in July, although it now depends on the outcome of the new application.

A spokesman for Suffolk Constabulary said they would be unable to comment on the claims as the proceedings are ongoing.

No one from Cheong's legal team was prepared comment on the case.