The family of convicted murderer William Kean have vowed to clear his name.
Kean (46) was jailed for life on Monday after being found guilty of bludgeoning Jenny Methven to death in the kitchen of her Forteviot cottage.
Convinced he could not have carried out the chilling crime, family members are steeling themselves for a lengthy legal battle in an effort to free him.
Father-of-one Kean had denied murdering the pensioner by repeatedly hitting her on the head with a blunt instrument in February.
Kean’s family have steadfastly maintained the Blairgowrie businessman was incapable of the cold-hearted killing, for which there was no apparent motive.
His legal team declined to comment but is now understood to be poring over the details of the trial to establish what basis there could be for an appeal.
Speaking yesterday at her home near Blairgowrie, Kean’s mother-in-law Anne Jameson confirmed an appeal was ”on the cards”.
While stressing she did not want to pre-empt any legal moves to overturn the conviction, Mrs Jameson said the family believe the verdict was wrong.
She said: ”He definitely did not do it. The family are right behind him.”
Kean’s wife, Mary, refused to speak when The Courier visited the couple’s Blairgowrie home.
During the trial she said his arrest had been a shock because he had behaved normally up until the suicide attempt.
She had described her husband of 15 years as a quiet, reserved and private person who had never come to the attention of the police.
It emerged during the trial that Kean a former special constable with Tayside Police was a close friend of Jenny and her son David.
Mr Methven said he had been shocked by the ”betrayal” of the man he regarded as a brother and said he could not forgive him for what he had done to his mother.
Mr Methven could not be contacted for reaction to the possibility of an appeal by Kean, who will not be eligible for parole until 2034 after Lord Glennie ordered him to serve at least 22 years of a life sentence.
Mr Methven has not returned to live in the cottage he shared with his mother at Kildinny Farm and the Dupplin Estate refused to be drawn on the future of the property.