HE vehemently professed his innocence immediately after being found guilty of murdering Carly McBride last month and now Sayle Kenneth Newson intends to launch an appeal against his conviction.
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Newson's solicitor Mark Ramsland filed a notice of intention to appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeal on June 25, a day after Newson was found guilty by a jury of murdering Ms McBride at Muswellbrook on September 30, 2014.
"Youse have got it wrong," Newson told the jury after the verdict. "I'm innocent. "I didn't do it."
Later, Newson turned to Justice Mark Ierace, SC, again to profess his innocence.
"I understand the verdict's been the verdict," he said. "Your Honour, I'm innocent. From the day I reported Carly missing to this very day I've been compliant with the police, with the courts, with the jails, everything, and I've been found guilty of a crime that I did not commit. Someone out there has committed this crime and it wasn't me. It wasn't me and now I've got a big struggle ahead of me to try and clear my name through the courts after this."
Ms McBride disappeared after what was supposed to be a visit with her daughter at a house at Calgaroo Avenue at Muswellbrook about 2pm on September 30, 2014.
After extensive police searches turned up nothing in the Muswellbrook area, Ms McBride's remains were found about 25 metres from Bunnan Road at Owens Gap outside Scone on August 7, 2016.
Newson was charged in 2017 by investigators from Strike Force Karabi, who without any direct evidence tying Newson to Ms McBride's disappearance and murder had worked for years to build an entirely circumstantial case.
And he was prosecuted by Crown prosecutor Lee Carr, SC, and DPP Trial Advocate Kristy Mulley who turned those pieces of circumstantial evidence into an overwhelming case against Newson.
During his closing address, Mr Carr told the jury that motivated by "jealousy and possessiveness", Newson had the opportunity to intercept Ms McBride after she left the home at Muswellbrook on September 30, 2014 and the skills in "combat sports" to inflict the fatal blows to her head and back before dumping her body in remote bushland outside Scone.
The notice of intention to appeal is just the first step in the appeal process and must be filed within 28 days of the conviction.
Newson's lawyers are not yet required to specify the grounds of the appeal.
They have six months to file the actual appeal before the matter is listed for hearing in the Court of Criminal Appeal.