'Lady in the Lake' murder conviction upheld

The Court of Appeal has upheld the conviction of Gordon Parks for the 1976 murder of  his wife Carol, whose body was found 21 years later in Coniston Water.

Park was initially charged with murder in 1998, only for the case to be dropped. Then, with new evidence, he was convicted in 2005 and killed himself in prison in 2010 after a failed appeal.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) considered evidence, undisclosed at trial, would have undermined a fellow prisoner who claimed Park had confessed to him.

Doubt was also cast on the prosecution's suggested murder weapon after dental experts concluded Carol Park’s injuries were inconsistent with her husband's ice axe.

However, delivering the ruling, Mr Justice Sweeney said: "We have no doubt as to the safety of the conviction."

A statement from Park’s family read: "The family, friends and supporters of Gordon Park, and Carol Park's children, are disappointed with today's decision. Having exhausted all options, we are now left without the closure we were all hoping for. The judgment marks the end of our fight to clear his name."