Killers fail in appeals against convictions

The Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeals against conviction made by two convicted murderers.

An attempt by two of the murderers of Featherston man Glen Jones to have their convictions overturned has been dismissed.

The Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeals against conviction made by Tariana Jones and Kristofer Jones, who were convicted of murder and aggravated burglary in May 2014.

Tariana Jones, Matthew McKinney, Kristofer Jones, and Hayden Ranson were given mandatory sentences of life imprisonment, with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years, and 10 years jail for aggravated burglary, to be served concurrently.

A co-accused, Toni Miller, who waited on the street while the murder took place, was found guilty of aggravated burglary. She was sentenced to eight years' jail. An appeal by Miller was also dismissed.

Mr Jones, 40, died in hospital from massive head injuries after the brutal attack in his Featherston home in January, 2013.

The supermarket worker was fatally bashed in retaliation for an alleged rape.

The other two men convicted of Mr Jones' murder, Hayden Ranson and Matthew McKinney, did not lodge an appeal.

Justices John Wild, Stephen Kos and Patrick Keane reduced a concurrent sentence for aggravated burglary from 10 years to nine years for Tariana Jones, due to her "mitigating personal circumstances".

Counsel for all three appellants argued the trials should have been separated, with Miller tried alone and Tariana and Kristofer Jones tried in conjunction with Hayden Ranson, leaving Matthew McKinney to be tried alone.

Miller's lawyer, Nicolette Levy, argued the video statements made by the other accused were highly prejudicial and that the evidence of the violence was irrelevant to the aggravated burglary charge her client faced.

However, the court discounted this ground for appeal, stating that as no application for severance of the trials was made beforehand, it was "obviously a deliberate strategic decision".

Ms Levy also argued the Crown marking Tariana Jones as the key instigator with requisite murderous intent was not proven by the evidence and the murderous intent was really among the men.

However, the justices found the evidence was appropriate.