A Dingle mum is set to challenge her conviction of murdering her childhood sweetheart five years ago.
In light of fresh evidence, Farieissia Martin of Charlecote Street, Dingle, will have her case heard at the Court of Appeal this month.
She was sentenced to 13 years jail in 2015 after stabbing dad-of-two Kyle Farrell in the chest with a kitchen knife at her south Liverpool home.
Mr Farrell died in hospital after being discovered by police and paramedics at the house at around 5am on November 21, 2014.
During the trial Ian Unsworth QC, prosecuting, said Martin, 22-years-old at the time, was found “deeply distressed” and said Mr Farrell had been stabbed by someone else.
But during a 999 call she accepted that she inflicted the fatal wound, and was charged with murder.
She was found guilty after trial on May 28, with jurors taking just four hours to reach their unanimous decision.
It emerged during the trial that Martin had been subject to violence by Mr Farrell during the latter part of their relationship.
The Centre for Women's Justice (COWJ) reported that following Martin's conviction, a new legal team was assembled and a psychiatric and a psychological report was obtained to document the extent of "sexual, physical and psychological abuse" she had experienced since the age of 15.
Her team said that at time of Mr Farrell's death, Martin was "suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and dissociation as a result of being the victim of sustained sexual, psychological and physical abuse."
On the basis of the diagnosis of PTSD, Martin's legal team said experts support the partial defence of Diminished Responsibility and loss of control.
During the original trial in 2015, John Benson QC, defending, said Martin had only one previous conviction for affray, dating back to when she was 16 years old.
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He said: “She was a young but devoted mother to her two young children. The real life sentence in this case is the knowledge that will be with this defendant for all of her days, that she took the life of the father of those children in distressing circumstances.”
The court heard Martin had been drinking on the night of the murder, and initially lied to police claiming an intruder had inflicted the fatal wound on Mr Farrell.
But Mr Benson said there had been some form of “provocation” on the night, and that Martin had been subject to violence in the latter part of her relationship.
He said: “In the latter part of her pregnancy Mr Farrell fathered a child by another woman, and the hurt that caused the defendant was enduring.
“Although she attempted to forgive, she certainly didn’t forget.”
He also said there had been not serious but “very unpleasant” assaults by Mr Farrell on his client.
Judge Dove told the court he accepted that Martin “was not a wicked person” and was a “conscientious and loving mother.”
He said he believed Martin had not meant to kill, but had meant to cause serious bodily harm
But he said: “Anyone who listened to the 999 call will remember vividly the agony of Mr Farrell’s last moments on earth. The children you said are the reason you lied to the police and attempted to hide the weapon are going to grow up without their father.”
He said although Martin had expressed remorse for what happened, she still did not accept responsibility for inflicting Mr Farrell’s fatal injuries.
The hearing at the Court of Appeal is set for December 16.
