The man convicted of killing Perthshire pensioner Jenny Methven has taken the first steps in a legal bid to clear his name.
During his trial last month William Kean denied any involvement in the crime but was found guilty and sentenced to 22 years in jail for murdering the 80-year-old in her Forteviot home.
In the wake of his conviction his family said he would fight the jury’s verdict.
Now the High Court of Justiciary has confirmed that Kean has lodged an intimation of intention to appeal against both his conviction and sentence.
A detailed document setting out the defence’s grounds of appeal will be lodged at a later date for the full appeal to go ahead.
Kean has eight weeks to complete the formal appeal process.
When a completed appeal is submitted, the case will go to a judge to decide if there are grounds for it to be heard.
If allowed, Kean’s motion would be heard at the High Court in Edinburgh in the Court of Criminal Appeal and would be likely to take place within a three-month period.
Should it be refused the defence can go down the route of asking for the appeal grounds to go before a panel of three judges for determination.
The jury in the trial took less than two hours to convict the father of one of bludgeoning Mrs Methven to death.
Her body was discovered on February 20 by her son David when he returned home to the cottage they shared.
Kean’s family are backing his appeal and have steadfastly maintained that the businessman was incapable of the killing.
”He definitely did not do it,” said his mother-in-law Anne Jameson when an appeal was first mooted. ”The family are right behind him.”
Kean lived in Blairgowrie with his wife Mary prior to his arrest and was a trusted friend of Mrs Methven and her son.