Husband of killer carer loses conviction appeal

The husband of a carer who forged the will of a wealthy landowner before she starved him to death has lost a bid to appeal against his conviction.

Wayne Rickard, 67, was jailed for 10 and a half years in June last year after he was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a vulnerable adult, James Sootheran, 59.

Rickard’s wife, Lynda, was convicted of murdering the former auctioneer’s clerk in March 2014, so she could inherit a slice of his £3.5million fortune.

Rickard’s bid to challenge his conviction was rejected by senior judges at a hearing at the Court of Appeal in London yesterday.