Family of murdered Castleford market trader claim killer is still on loose

Tomorrow is the eighth anniversary of 73-year-old grandmother Molly Wright’s murder at her home in Redhill Gardens, Castleford, on September 27 2006.

Her son-in-law David Hill, who was jailed for life with a minimum 14 year term in 2008, is continuing to claim he is innocent of bludgeoning her to death.

Molly Wright’s daughters Jill Northwood and Maxine Hill - David Hill’s wife – are backing him.

They say a new witness has come forward and The Criminal Case Review Commission (CCRC) is considering an application to carry out a new review into the case. A review in 2012 into the conviction was rejected.

Jill Northwood said: “It’s eight years on Saturday since my mum died and not a day goes by when I don’t think about it.

“I still believe the murderer of my mum is out there and it’s the worst feeling in the world. As long as they take their time and examine all of the evidence it doesn’t matter how long it takes. I am hoping it will lead to us getting the right to appeal.”

Private investigator Andy Brown – a former West Yorkshire Police assistant chief constable – is looking into Hill’s conviction on the family’s behalf.

He said: “We have new evidence from a witness who says they saw a suspicious man outside Molly’s home that was not David Hill. Another five witnesses have now come forward and the CCRC has agreed to reconsider the case.”

A spokesman for the CCRC said: “We do have an application for David Hill and it is being considered by the commission.”

In 2008 a Leeds Crown jury unanimously convicted David Hill of murder after rejecting his story that he had found Mrs Wright dying and comforted her in her last moments

In 2009, Hill tried to overturn his murder conviction at the Appeal Court. Fresh evidence from two forensic scientists suggested blood found on Hill’s clothes could have been aspirated on to him by Mrs Wright as he tried to give her artificial respiration and cuddled her. Lord Justice Hughes refused to admit the evidence.

At Hill’s trial, the jury heard he had been concealing debts of around £20,000 and the prosecution claimed he battered the pensioner repeatedly over the head with a heavy, blunt object after losing his temper when she discovered he had been siphoning money from a joint bank account for the card and toy business they shared at Castleford indoor market.