Inquiry requested on jury allegations

London - Legal representatives of a Norfolk farmer convicted of murder will ask the Court of Appeal in London to order an investigation…

London - Legal representatives of a Norfolk farmer convicted of murder will ask the Court of Appeal in London to order an investigation into allegations that the jury at his trial was intimidated, writes Rachel Donnelly.

The move comes after officials from the Lord Chancellor's Department met at Norwich Crown Court yesterday to discuss allegations that some of the jurors at Tony Martin's trial, which ended last week when he received a life sentence for murder, felt pressured into convicting him. The officials decided not to launch an immediate investigation, saying it was a matter for Martin's lawyers to decide whether any allegations supported an appeal against his conviction for the murder of Fred Barras (16), who was with two other men when he burgled Martin's farmhouse last August.