Death row Briton's stay of execution hearing delayed

A US court hearing to decide whether to stay the execution of a Briton who has spent 16 years on death row was today postponed until next week.

Judges in Texas will now decide on Wednesday whether Suffolk born Jackie Elliott will be put to death on February 4.

Lawyers for the 43-year-old want the execution to be delayed to give time for the consideration of new DNA tests which may clear him.

Elliott has always denied being involved in the gang-rape and murder of an 18-year-old girl in 1986.

His legal team said new technology should be used to carry out tests on forensic evidence from the case, which they believe will show that while he was present when Joyce Munguia was murdered, he took no part in the crime.

Tory MP John Gummer, in whose constituency Elliott was born, today visited Texas to plead with authorities to give him more time to prove his innocence.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has written to Texas governor Rick Perry raising concerns about the execution, and the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, and the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, have called for Elliott’s life to be spared.

Felixstowe-born Elliott, who left England when he was six months old, today spoke about how support from Britain has given him new hope that he may escape death by lethal injection.

"It’s given me something to hold onto," he said. "Like when you’re drowning and somebody throws you a rope.

"I’ve gotten more support from people in Britain than I’ve ever got here. I was always proud of the fact that I was born in England."

Some 134 MPs have signed a Commons motion calling for clemency and Elliott today urged Tony Blair to speak directly to US President George W Bush on his behalf.