THE family of murder victim Dawn Walker have spoken of their relief after her killer was denied permission to appeal against his conviction.Kevin Nunn, formerly of Woolpit, has always maintained his innocence despite being found guilty of murdering his ex-girlfriend, setting fire to her body and dumping it beside the River Lark near Bury St Edmunds in February 2005.

THE family of murder victim Dawn Walker have spoken of their relief after her killer was denied permission to appeal against his conviction.

Kevin Nunn, formerly of Woolpit, has always maintained his innocence despite being found guilty of murdering his ex-girlfriend, setting fire to her body and dumping it beside the River Lark near Bury St Edmunds in February 2005.

But a bid to be granted leave to appeal against the court's decision in November has fallen at the first hurdle after an Appeal Court judge ruled there was “no merit” in Nunn's case.

Miss Walker's sister, Sheena van Oevelen, said the decision - which was made on paper and not in court - did not come as a surprise and that the family had every confidence in the trial judge.

But Nunn's family said they planned to challenge the verdict, and vowed to continue their fight to prove the 47-year-old's innocence.

Nunn was given a life sentence and told to serve a minimum of 22 years in jail after a jury convicted him of murdering Miss Walker, a 37-year-old fitness fanatic who lived at Fornham St Martin. Ipswich Crown Court heard that Nunn was “consumed by jealousy” after Miss Walker ended their relationship.