A CONVICTED murderer who fabricated evidence in a bid to overturn his conviction has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison.
Peter Jones, 53, is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of John Ward in St Osyth in 2006.
He was convicted in 2008 and sentenced to at least 25 years in prison.
In 2013 he submitted an application to the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal against his conviction.
Supposed fresh evidence included witness statements from several people stating he was not at the scene of the murder at the time and his family were being threatened, intimidated, and subjected to acts of violence prior to his trial.
However, this application was thrown out with the judgment stating the fresh evidence was completely devoid of credibility.
Essex Police said its investigation established Jones had worked with his brother, his ex-wife and his mistress to fabricate the appeal story.
It included telling police that he had been beaten up and doused in petrol and he had found bullets and a wreath in his car.
He also claimed to have been at a restaurant with his brother, mistress and another man at the time of the murder.
Peter Jones, his brother Matthew, of Hall Road, Chelmsford, his ex-wife Carmen Anghel, of Chelmsford, his mistress Lisa Bradfield, of Elmbridge Hall, Fyfield, and were all charged with Perverting the Course of Justice.
They all pleaded guilty to the charges and were sentenced at Basildon Crown Court on Friday.
Peter Jones was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, to run consecutive to his 25-year sentence.
Bradfield was sentenced to 27 months in prison, Matthew Jones was handed a 16-month prison sentence and Anghel was given a two-year year sentence, suspended for two years and a community order.
Senior investigating officer Det Supt Stephen Jennings said: “This was a complex and organised plot to try to con the Court of Appeal into freeing a convicted murderer.
“Peter Jones orchestrated the plan from his prison cell with the assistance of his brother, former lovers, and their friends.
“However, their attempts were foiled and due to our thorough investigation we have been able to uncover their fraud.”
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