William Kean asks for more time to appeal Jenny Methven murder conviction

The man found guilty of murdering Perthshire pensioner Jenny Methven has asked for more time to prepare an appeal against his conviction and sentence.

William Kean (46) lodged an intimation of intention to appeal last month and the deadline for the paperwork to be delivered to the court had been this Friday.

The High Court in Edinburgh said Mr Kean’s legal team had applied for an eight-week extension for lodging the appeal.

This request will be considered by a judge, but if it is refused there would be a right of appeal to a panel of three judges.

Kean, of Blairgowrie, was convicted in August for the brutal murder of the 80-year-old pensioner at her home near Forteviot.

Kean was jailed for life at the High Court in Glasgow and ordered to serve at least 22 years, but his family said they were convinced he could not have carried out the crime and were backing a legal battle to reverse a ”miscarriage of justice”.

It emerged during the trail that Kean, a former special constable with Tayside Police, was a close friend of Mrs Methven’s son David.

Mr Methven said he had been shocked by the ”betrayal” of the man he saw as a brother and could not forgive him.