The parents of murdered schoolgirl Danielle Jones were today hopeful that her killer would fail in his bid for freedom.

Stuart Campbell is to appeal against his conviction for murdering his niece, with whom he had a sexual obsession. Her body has never been found.

Speaking from their home in Hayle, East Tilbury, Danielle's dad Tony said: "I can't really see it going very far. At the trial last year the police tried to make sure there was the least amount of room for the chance of an appeal. Until I know what he is appealing on, I can't say any more. But they all try to appeal, don't they?"

Campbell, a self-employed builder of Meadow Road, Grays, was jailed for life in December for abducting and murdering the 15-year-old, a student at St Clere's School in Stanford.

A lengthy legal process will see Campbell's appeal next go to a judge to decide whether the application for leave to appeal is granted.

One officer who worked on the case said: "We won't know what the contested issue is until the last minute."

Published Wednesday, April 16, 2003

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