A FORMER loyalist terrorist and his son jailed for the murder of a North-East man have begun an Appeal Court bid to have their convictions overturned.

John Mawhinney, 51, and his 25-year-old son, Keith Mawhinney, were convicted of murdering Tony Clark at his home in Milton Road, in the Grange Road area of Hartlepool, at Teesside Crown Court in December 1999.

The prosecution said the pair cornered Mr Clark in his living room and used pickaxe handles to administer a "punishment beating".

The attack was said to have been motivated by a wish to take revenge for a burglary at John Mawhinney's house.

John Mawhinney, originally from Brookfield Gardens, Ballymena, County Antrim, was a former terrorist with reputed links to the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force.

His son was 19 at the time of the killing. At the trial, the prosecution said both men acted together to carry out the fatal assault on Mr Clark.

Edward Fitzgerald QC, for Keith Mawhinney, said the trial judge should have directed the jury to disregard the evidence of a witness, Zeiff Payne, who said the pair told him they carried out the fatal beating.

Mr Fitzgerland said Mr Payne's evidence was inherently unreliable. He said he had told deliberate lies and was mentally unstable.

Lord Justice Auld, Mr Justice Beatson, and Mr Justice Henriques will later hear arguments from Michael Mansfield QC, for Mawhinney, and from Crown lawyers. The hearing continues.