A man jailed for killing a woman his wife suspected he was having an affair with is to appeal against his conviction.
Craig Walker, 41, attacked Lauren Wilson leaving her with 77 injuries, including 29 stab wounds, during a horror incident at his flat in Renfrew.
During the trial, prosecutors told the court that his supermarket worker victim, 34, was about to reveal the length of their fling and had tried contacting Walker’s wife Seonid, 38, on the morning of the attack on May 26, 2021.
Walker was found guilty of Lauren’s murder following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow earlier this month. He was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 21 years behind bars before he can apply for parole.
But the former hockey internationalist has now launched a bid for freedom after instructing his legal team to challenge both his conviction and sentence.
The Crown Office has confirmed his appeal bid was lodged at the High Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh and a hearing will take place at a later date.
Walker killed Lauren on the day of his ninth wedding anniversary to Seonid. The couple had split in the summer of 2020 but Walker had been set to return to the family home.
The court heard that, at his flat, Walker flew into a rage and battered, strangled and stabbed Lauren before stuffing her corpse into a sports bag.
The ex-Scotland and Great Britain hockey player denied murder, insisting the mum was hurt in a “frantic struggle”.
Walker also said he lied to Lauren about having cancer in a bid to “push her away”.
Sentencing him, Judge Lady Stacey told Walker: “You murdered an innocent young woman who was in a relationship with you – she must have trusted you. These actions are disgraceful. No one can know the pain and anguish and perhaps terror you inflicted on her.”
During the trial, Seonid told jurors she got a friend request on Facebook from Lauren in May 2021 and had thought this “strange”. She quizzed her husband about her and he claimed to have known Lauren “from years ago”. Seonid had also seen a text from Lauren to Walker.
During the trial, a policeman told how he discovered Lauren’s body during a missing person hunt. PC Stuart McDougall said he searched Walker’s flat after finally being allowed access by the killer. Walker was described as “agitated and hesitant”.
The PC recalled seeing a “figure” in a hockey bag in a bedroom. He said: “I asked Mr Walker what this was and he said, ‘That’s her.’ He said, ‘She is in the bag.’ I placed him in cuffs immediately.”
Walker was also convicted of attempting to pervert justice.
Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Jamie Greene MSP said: “Sadly too many women in Scotland die in domestic cases like this.
“The public will rightly feel that a life sentence seems entirely appropriate in a case of this nature.
“The victim’s family will already be suffering unimaginable pain – and, sadly, that pain is likely to increase with this appeal.”
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