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Brian Hossack • Published 28 Aug 2010 14:00
THE man who murdered nurse Elizabeth Duncan has failed in a bid to have his life sentence reduced.
Former shipyard worker John Miller, 47, below, was given a 14-year jail term for strangling his fiancee within his flat in Greenock’s Wellington Street.
Miller’s defence team, headed by Greenock solicitor Aidan Gallagher, appealed to have the length of his sentence reduced. But their bid was rejected at the High Court of Appeal in Edinburgh on Thursday.
Passing judgement, Lord Hardie and Lord Reid said: “The punishment-part imposed was not excessive in the current climate, and although it was accepted the incident may only have lasted 10 or 15 seconds, it was still murder.”
Liz’s daughter Angela, 29, told the Tele yesterday her family was delighted at the decision.
She said: “Hopefully this finally lets us move on. We at least know now Miller won’t be back in court and he will serve the full 14-year sentence that he was rightfully given for killing our mum.
“I went to her grave yesterday after hearing the appeal had been refused. I laid down flowers and it felt like some closure. I hope Miller rots in jail.”
Angela said the appeal had brought back a flood of memories from the murder trial in February this year.
She added: “It has been hard knowing this has been hanging over us because you do worry about how the judgement is going to go. I have had trouble sleeping with it going over and over in my mind, but hopefully this is finally the end. “It is hard every day trying to go on without my mum, but I need to for my own children’s sake.”
Miller was convicted by a jury of murdering the 48-year-old grandmother after a week-long trial at Greenock Sheriff Court in February.
He was found guilty by a majority verdict of killing Elizabeth, known as Liz, by seizing hold of her neck and compressing it with his hands, restricting her breathing and murdering her on 28 May last year.
The harrowing trial heard how Miller murdered her after an argument following a night out.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Court Service confirmed Miller’s appeal had been rejected.
She said: “The appeal against his 14-year sentence for murder on 16 February this year was refused on Thursday at the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh by Lord Reid and Lord Hardie.”
This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 28 Aug 10
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