THE conviction of the teen murderer who bludgeoned hairdresser Kelly Hyde to death in Ammanford more than ten years ago has been referred to the Court of Appeal.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) believes there is a very real possibility that the court will quash the murder conviction of Adrian Vivian Jones on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Jones, who was just 16 at the time of the killing in September 2007, was convicted in Swansea Crown Court in July 2008 and told he would be held in “detention at Her Majesty’s pleasure” with a recommendation that he serve a minimum of 12 years behind bars.

Jones, formerly of Mill Terrace in Pantyffynnon, died of natural causes while in custody ten years into his sentence in February 2018.

Having claimed he was innocent throughout his trial, he tried to appeal against his conviction but the move was dismissed in October 2009.

Following that appeal, Jones accepted responsibility for murdering the 24 year-old-hairdresser as she walked along the bridle path near Pantyffynnon with her dog after leaving her car to be MOTed at a nearby garage.

Jones applied to the CCRC for a review of his case in September 2015.

The commission has confirmed it has conducted a detailed review of the case which has included reports from a number of psychiatric experts and commissioning its own psychiatric expert evidence.

CCRC said it has decided to refer the murder conviction to the Court of Appeal on the basis of new psychiatric evidence relating to his mental state at the time of the killing and that it raises a real possibility that the appeals court will quash the murder conviction and substitute a conviction for manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Following his death, Jones’ family has pursued the application on his behalf.

The Commission has confirmed in a statement to the press that it has decided to refer the case, not only on the basis that there is a real possibility that the court will quash the conviction, but also because it considers that there is a real possibility the court will approve Mr Jones’ mother under subsection 3 of section 44A of Criminal Appeal Act 1968, to appear in lieu of her son.

Jones/the Jones family were not legally represented during their application to the CCRC.