SION Mills murderer Trevor Hamilton's will have his appeal against his conviction for the murder of Strabane pensioner Attracta Harron heard in February. His legal team argue that the conviction is unsafe.

He abducted and murdered the 65-year-old retired librarian, when she was returning from Mass in Murlog, Lifford, Co Donegal on December 11, 2003. Four months earlier he had been released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent rape and other offences, including threats to kill.

Mrs Harron's body was found on April 5, 2004, four months after she was last seen alive, hidden in a river bank less than 50 yards from Hamilton's home.

Hamilton was found guilty of her murder on April 2006, 2006. The trial judge, when sentencing him recommended that he should never be released from prison. This was the first time that such a recommendation had been made in the North.

Hamilton was not in court to hear the date of his appeal, which is expected to last a week.