The Court of Appeal has reserved its decision in the case of death-row inmate 27-year-old Kevin Mayne who was convicted of the murder of taxi driver Valerie Williams, of Christiana, Manchester.

Mayne is seeking to have a retrial or to be freed based on a psychiatric report that he has a mental retardation because of a head injury when he was 11 years old.

After Mayne lost his appeal in 2001 against his conviction, he called psychiatrist consultant, Dr. Carol McDaniel, to give fresh evidence in the Court of Appeal.

The psychiatrist said that from examination and evaluation, Mayne had the mental capacity of a seven-year-old when the offence was committed.

Dennis Morrison, Q.C., argued that the evidence was not available at Mayne's trial or appeal. Mr. Morrison said that had the evidence been available at trial it might have created a reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury as to Mayne's guilt.

Mayne and Jeffrey Miller were convicted in November 1999 for the October 30, 1997, murder of the taxi driver.

Lost appeal

The Crown led evidence that they robbed her of her motor car and stabbed the female taxi driver to death. They lost their appeal in July 2001 against their convictions and death sentences.

The taxi driver's body, which had 20 stab wounds and a broken neck, was found in a cave in Coleyville, Manchester, on October 31, 1997.