A SUFFOLK chef jailed for life after brutally bludgeoning his wife to death with a club hammer, is to appeal against his conviction for murder.But the parents of his 37-year-old victim insisted Colin Dorey's case had already been fairly tried, and said they stood by the murder conviction handed down by Ipswich Crown Court last August.

A SUFFOLK chef jailed for life after brutally bludgeoning his wife to death with a club hammer, is to appeal against his conviction for murder.

But the parents of his 37-year-old victim insisted Colin Dorey's case had already been fairly tried, and said they stood by the murder conviction handed down by Ipswich Crown Court last August.

Mother-of-three Christine Dorey was battered repeatedly in the head and face by her husband as she dozed on the sofa at the couple's Bury St Edmunds home last January.

Dorey, 43, denied murdering her, but admitted the lesser charge of manslaughter. He was tried at Ipswich Crown Court after prosecutors refused to accept this guilty plea, and was convicted of murder on a 10-2 majority verdict by a jury.

Christine's parents, Hugh and Sue Buxton, have since taken responsibility for their three grandchildren Lettie, 11, Sam, nine and Ellie, four, who they say were effectively orphaned by the events of Christmas 2001.

The couple said they had faith in the jury's original verdict, adding that Dorey's case had been heard fully and fairly during the eight-day trial last August.

"We relied upon the country's justice system to prove a case," said Mr Buxton, who works for the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket.

"We feel it has been proved, and every opportunity was given for the case to be presented to its full extent. We stand by that."

Dorey must now be granted leave to appeal by High Court judges. If they feel he has a case, a date will be fixed for a further hearing at the Court of Appeal in London.

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said: "An appeal notice has been lodged, but we have not received a date for the hearing as yet. The Court of Appeal will now decide when they are going to hear the case, and legal argument will then take place before High Court judges in London."