An eight-year-old girl will give evidence before three senior judges today at her mother's appeal against conviction for the murder of her abusive husband.

Donna Tinker, 32, jailed for life in April 2000 after being found guilty of murdering husband Richard, is asking the Court of Appeal to find her conviction ''unsafe''.

The evidence from Tinker's daughter about what she saw on the day of the fatal stabbing at their home in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, is one of three grounds of appeal being considered by Lord Justice Kennedy, Mr Justice Sachs and Mrs Justice Hallett in London.

Tinker stabbed her husband with a vegetable knife in June 1999. She said he held his arm around her neck and threatened her with a hot iron. A single blow punctured a lung and he died in hospital a week later.

Yesterday, Tinker's lawyers told the Appeal Court there was fresh material supporting her version of events relating to the iron, including evidence from her daughter.

The three judges have watched a video in which Tinker's daughter described what she saw.

She will give evidence via video link today and will be cross-examined by counsel for the Crown, Jeremy Richardson QC.

Miss Vera Baird QC, Tinker's counsel, told the court that the eight-year-old said she had seen the iron raised in Richard's hands.

Tinker's defence of provocation was not accepted in court despite evidence of the injuries she had suffered an hour before the stabbing. They included a black eye, broken tooth and bruised jaw.

Her case has been taken up by Justice for Women and other pressure groups.

Her three daughters now live with their maternal grandparents near Newcastle upon Tyne.

Miss Baird argued that a direction given by the trial judge to the jury on the issue of lies was ''defective'' in such a way as to be enough on its own to render the conviction unsafe.

If Tinker wins her appeal, which is expected to last two days, she may face a retrial.