A man and woman from Falmouth serving life for the barbaric murder of a 63-year-old man are challenging their convictions on the strength of new evidence.

Michelle Casterton, 45, of Grenville Road, and Daniel John Quinn, 25, of Tregullow Road, were jailed for the murder of Terry Oldham, who died after he was assaulted with a broom handle.

Also locked up for life was Aaron Mallon, 26, also of Grenville Road, after the trio were convicted at Truro Crown Court in November 2015.

But Casterton and Quinn are now challenging their convictions - after Mallon confessed that he alone was responsible for the killing.

Mr Oldham, who lived in Dolcoath Road, Camborne, died in excruciating pain from internal injuries. Police later described how his three alleged killers had "taken over" the house where he lived. They were said to have evicted him from his own bedroom and used his bank card and PIN at will.

Jurors were told they repeatedly bullied him, acting "like a pack of dogs" and even urinating on him. The final violence meted out on him bore all the hallmarks of a twisted "punishment beating."

"It was clearly a targeted assault to teach a man a lesson," Crown QC, Paul Dunkels, told London's Appeal Court yesterday.

However, in a surprise development, three senior judges heard evidence from Mallon that he was the sole killer.

Speaking by video link from jail, Mallon accepted that he alone was guilty of Mr Oldham's murder.

After he confessed to the fatal attack, Casterton's QC, Simon Laws, asked him: "Were you alone when you did that or were you with someone else?"

"I was on my own," Mallon insisted, adding that Casterton, his girlfriend, was "in bed or out" at the time.

"What about Daniel Quinn?" asked Mr Laws, "was he there?"

"No," said Mallon, who added that he had assaulted Mr Oldham "many times" before.

Asked why he had attacked the dead man, Mallon told the court: "Because he was a paedophile".

Casterton and Quinn, claim Mallon's fresh evidence fatally undermines their convictions.

But Mr Dunkels urged the judges to reject Mallon's testimony, which he dubbed "not capable of belief."

Lady Justice Hallett, sitting with Mr Justice Green and Judge Deborah Taylor, will give the court's decision at a later date.

At the end of the hearing, she told Casterton and Quinn: "I'm afraid you will have to wait for the result."