Second appeal dashes airman's hopes

FORMER RAF officer Nicholas Tucker, convicted of murdering his wife has had his hopes of early freedom dashed after a second appeal hearing bid was rejected.

FORMER RAF officer Nicholas Tucker, convicted of murdering his wife has had his hopes of early freedom dashed after a second appeal hearing bid was rejected.

The Squadron Leader's latest attempt to clear his name, using a fresh appeal authorised by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), has been dismissed on grounds of insufficient evidence.

Tucker, whose high-profile case has already been thrown out at one appeal, had applied to the CCRC after fresh evidence allegedly throwing doubt on his conviction was uncovered by Channel 4's Trial and Error programme.

But officials from the CCRC stated they would not recommend the case back to the appeal courts. Their decision gives Tucker, who is serving a life sentence in Cardiff for murdering his wife, four weeks to appeal.

Tucker's fiancée Jenny Peacock, who lives in Thetford and has campaigned for his freedom since he was jailed in 1997, said the news had made Tucker even more determined to fight his corner.

"This is not the end," she said. "Nick is very fired up at the moment and is half way through setting out his case again.

"We just feel we are hitting a brick wall – we get so far and we are just pushed back again."