A MURDERER who beat an Asian taxi driver to death before his friend drove over the victim's head has failed to have his conviction overturned.

Jason Power, aged 35, of Cross Lane, Radcliffe, was taking a cab on a night out to celebrate Mark Baker's 21st birthday on November 9, 2000, when, together with two other passengers, they tried to run away without paying.

Cabbie Tariq Javed tried to stop them but was dragged from the taxi and beaten to the ground by Power and Baker. Then Baker got back into the cab and reversed it over the driver's head.

Mr Javed died from his injuries.

Power was jailed for life at Manchester Crown Court in October, 2001, after being convicted of murder and robbery. Baker was also jailed for life for murder.

At the trial, the jury found the fatal injury had been inflicted by the beating and not the car wheel.

Yesterday, Power asked London's Criminal Appeal Court permission to appeal against his conviction.

He claimed new medical evidence showed Mr Javed's death was caused by the car wheel passing over his head, not the beating he received from the two men.

He argued that fresh medical evidence, which suggested it was "impossible" Mr Javed's injuries had been caused by the beating, had made his conviction "unsafe".

But Lord Justice Toulson, refusing the application, said that the view of the cause of the fatal head injuries was "a maverick or minority view". He said: "This was a case of murder over about £2."