Widow in bid to overturn murder conviction

Widow Catherine Nevin is to take her case to the European Courts in a bid to overturn her murder conviction, it emerged tonight.

Nevin, 52, was convicted in 2000 of killing her husband, Tom Nevin, almost eight years ago but lawyers are expected to argue she did not receive a fair trial.

Papers have been lodged with the European Court of Human Rights, which has agreed to hear the appeal.

It is believed she will argue during the appeal that she received adverse pre-trial publicity.

The Court of Criminal Appeal ruled unanimously against her appeal application in May last year.

The High Court has already made an order freezing Tom Nevin’s estate on application from his family.

He died without leaving a will and his widow sold their pub – Jack White’s Inn in Co Wickow – in November 1997.

The order, imposed pending the outcome of criminal proceedings, is being challenged by Catherine Nevin in the Supreme Court.

The application for an early hearing of the appeal by Mr Nevin’s family was today adjourned for six weeks.

The original High Court proceedings had sought a number of declarations, including one that Catherine Nevin was not entitled to any share of Jack White’s Inn.

Nevin is serving a life sentence for killing Tom Nevin at the pub on March 19, 1996.

She was also charged with soliciting three men to murder her husband on various dates before his fatal shooting.

The appeal is not expected to be heard for several months.