THE man convicted of the savage murder of a pensioner has failed in a bid to have his conviction quashed.

Duncan Runciman, aged 48, of Laurel Court, Bolton, was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of the murder of Ellen Crank in February, 2003.

Her son, Stanley Crank, was also convicted of her murder and sentenced to life.

Runciman launched an appeal, but the case was thrown out by Lady Justice Hallett, sitting with Mr Justice Newman and Mr Justice Royce, at London's Criminal Appeal Court on Tuesday.

Runciman had claimed jurors did not hear evidence which he claimed could show the victim's son was the sole killer.

His barrister, Jeremy Benson, QC, said the evidence would show Crank had a "propensity for spontaneous violence", allowing jurors to infer he alone murdered his mother.

But Lady Justice Hallett said the original conviction was safe.

Runciman was jailed in December, 2003, at Liverpool Crown Court.

The former military policeman and Crank, also 48, waited for Mrs Crank to return home to Kingscourt Avenue, Brownlow Fold, from her birthday party at a community centre.

As she stepped through the doorway, Crank knelt on her chest and carried out the frenzied attack.

Crank claimed he had been upstairs looking for money when Runciman killed his mother.

But Runciman said that, while he could not remember much because he had been drunk, he was sure he was not a party to the killing.

Mr Benson argued the only evidence placing Runciman inside the house came from Crank.

In dismissing the appeal, Lady Justice Hallett said Crank's evidence did not need further undermining, given that the jury found he was both a liar and a killer.

She also noted other evidence, such as CCTV footage of the two men entering Runciman's flat on the night of the killing, and a small smear of Mrs Crank's blood found under his bathroom sink.

She added that Runciman tried to commit suicide by overdose about two weeks after the murder, which "the jury may have thought indicated a degree of guilt or remorse."