A CONVICTED murderer is preparing to launch the legal bid that that he believes will clear his name.

Martial arts instructor Tony Bottrill is serving life in Durham's Frankland Prison for shooting cocaine-dealer Bryan Scott in the back at Kirkleatham Showground, in Redcar in March 2000.

The black belt has always protested his innocence, claiming he was not present when the fatal shooting took place. Now his case has been taken up by a legal team who are working for free putting together an appeal.

The documents will be lodged at the Court of Appeal within weeks. The case is already being examined by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

In a letter to The Northern Echo, Bottrill insisted he was innocent. He wrote: "Would I leave a trail of evidence pointing at me? Not likely, especially as the I am presented by the prosecution as 'cold, callous and cunning'.

"My daughter and family are, were and always will be, my life. I took various jobs specifically so I could take time to be with them. I didn't booze or go clubbing or take drugs, smoke or even swear (I now swear a lot). There is nothing and no one I would hurt which would remove me from them.

"Finally, I have no access to firearms or any sort and I would not have any idea of how to get one."

Bottrill has won the support of human rights barrister and Redcar MP Vera Baird and Giles Young, the Public Defender of Middlesbrough - a state-funded lawyer.

Mrs Baird, a QC, confirmed she was working on an appeal on Bottrill's behalf.

Mr Young, a former police officer, said: "Tony has never given a single cause for concern since he was 18. Having met him several times, given him tough questions and even tried to catch him out, I am convinced he has a very strong case."

A police spokesman said Cleveland Police had conducted a thorough investigation into the crime and were satisfied with the outcome.

Bryan Scott's mother, Helen Watson, declined to comment other than to reiterate her previous statement that she believed Bottrill was guilty.

A spokesman for the Criminal Cases Review Commission said: "We can confirm that legal experts will examine the case in the coming months."

Why former soldier believes he has a case

The 44-year-old former soldier, who served two years for manslaughter in 1977, claims:

* That a new witness has come forward to say they saw Tony Bottrill in Redcar town centre when the murder took place.

* Death threat letters alleged to be from Tony Bottrill to another Redcar drugs dealer linked to Bryan Scott should have been examined by an independent handwriting expert and not just a Crown Prosecution Service analyst.

* It was not made clear to a jury that a stamp used to send one of the threatening letters containing Bottrill's DNA was actually detached from the envelope. It is alleged there was also another strain of DNA on the stamp.

* A mobile phone used by the murderer at the scene of the crime could not have been used by Tony Botterill. New records apparently show he was talking on another phone when the mobile was used earlier in the evening.