Spotlight on Sentencing
I'll be interested to read the outcome of this appeal court hearing in which a convicted murderer claims that he should, in fact, have been found guilty of culpable homicide rather than the deliberate, cold-blooded homicide of his former wife.
Sounds like a load of old 'bull' if you ask me, as well as a terrible waste of public money, but time will tell.
Salon fire wife killer in 'diminished responsibility' claim
BBC Scotland
Ahdieh Khayatzadeh died following a fire at the Venus Hair and Beauty salon in Stirling
A man who burned his ex-wife to death in a Stirling beauty salon has claimed he was incapable of understanding the severity of his actions at the time.
Ahmed Yazdanparast has lodged an appeal against his murder conviction, claiming his defence team did not present evidence which showed he was suffering from diminished responsibility.
The 62-year-old was jailed for life for the attack in Stirling in October 2013.
Appeal judges said they would issue their decision later in the year.
Ahdieh Khayatzadeh suffered burns to 95% of her body in the attack at the Venus Hair and Beauty salon, where Yazdanparast doused her in petrol and set fire to her, having scattered cards accusing her of adultery around the scene.
Before she died, the 46-year-old told a paramedic that her ex-husband had carried out the attack because she had divorced him.
Yazdanparast maintained his innocence throughout the trial, telling judge Lady Wise that he was "not a killer" even after being sentenced to a minimum of 19 years in prison.
He now claims that he was acting under diminished responsibility at the time of the killing, and that the jury should have had the option of convicting him of culpable homicide instead of murder.
His new legal team said Yazdanparast's representatives in the High Court trial last year did not do enough to introduce evidence along those lines.
A man who burned his ex-wife to death in a Stirling beauty salon has claimed he was incapable of understanding the severity of his actions at the time.
Ahmed Yazdanparast has lodged an appeal against his murder conviction, claiming his defence team did not present evidence which showed he was suffering from diminished responsibility.
The 62-year-old was jailed for life for the attack in Stirling in October 2013.
Appeal judges said they would issue their decision later in the year.
Ahdieh Khayatzadeh suffered burns to 95% of her body in the attack at the Venus Hair and Beauty salon, where Yazdanparast doused her in petrol and set fire to her, having scattered cards accusing her of adultery around the scene.
Before she died, the 46-year-old told a paramedic that her ex-husband had carried out the attack because she had divorced him.
Yazdanparast maintained his innocence throughout the trial, telling judge Lady Wise that he was "not a killer" even after being sentenced to a minimum of 19 years in prison.
He now claims that he was acting under diminished responsibility at the time of the killing, and that the jury should have had the option of convicting him of culpable homicide instead of murder.
His new legal team said Yazdanparast's representatives in the High Court trial last year did not do enough to introduce evidence along those lines.
Criminal responsibility
Keith Stewart QC told appeal judges Lady Dorrian, Lord Bracadale and Lord Drummond Young that there was evidence available to prove his position.
He said: "There was a body of material which tended to suggest that the mental state of the appellant at the time of the index offence that his criminal responsibility for any action undertaken was diminished."
However, prosecution lawyer Tim Niven Smith said there was "overwhelming" evidence that Yazdanparast was fully aware of the consequences of his actions.
He said the defence were "entirely lacking in ability to demonstrate to the court a report which shows any suggestion whatsoever that the medical criteria or the scientific criteria for diminished responsibility could have been met".
The appeal judges will issue their decision as a written judgement later this year.
Forensics specialists found hand-written cards accusing Ms Khayatzadeh of adultery at the scene
