A man jailed for life for killing a pensioner who died of pneumonia after a break-in at his home, failed in an Appeal Court bid to challenge his murder conviction.

Gary Andrew Thompson, 43, of Kirkdale Green, Rye Hill, Newcastle, was convicted at Newcastle Crown Court in June last year of murdering 90-year-old Thomas Hall.

He was jailed by Mr Justice Smedley and given an eight-year-concurrent sentence for robbery.

Alan Colin Sidney, of West Thorpe, Westerhope, Newcastle, was given 200 hours community service for handling stolen goods.

The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, sitting at London's Criminal Appeal Court with Mr Justice Rougier and Mr Justice Bell, yesterday refused both men leave to appeal against their convictions.

Mr Hall was bound and gagged during the raid on his home on November 30, 1997, and later died in hospital from pneumonia. Lord Woolf said the pensioner had been left to endure the winter cold when the central heating system was disengaged.

However, it was not suggested that that had been done deliberately.

Thompson was alleged to have played a leading role in planning the robbery, which was motivated by the belief that there was a large amount of money in the house of the pensioner.

Lord Woolf dismissed claims by Sidney's lawyers that the trial judge failed adequately to direct the jury on vital issues in the case.

Thompson's lawyers claimed he and Sidney should have been tried separately, and pointed to alleged flaws in the judge's summing up.

Lord Woolf described the appeal grounds as "without merit".

Dismissing the appeal, the judge said: "We have come to the conclusion that they are without substance."