Two teenagers convicted of kicking Garry Newlove to death outside his Warrington home are in court to appeal against their sentences and conviction.
A teenager convicted of murdering Garry Newlove outside his Cheshire home has lost his appeal against his conviction.
Mr Newlove, 47, was kicked and punched "like a football" by youths when he confronted them about vandalism to his wife's car on 10 August 2007.
Mr Newlove, 47, was kicked and punched "like a football" by a gang of youths when he confronted them over vandalism to his wife's car in August 2007.
The father-of-three, of Station Road North, Fearnhead, died from head injuries two days later.
He was taken to hospital but died from head injuries two days later.
Adam Swellings and Stephen Sorton were convicted of murder in January.
Adam Swellings, 20, who was sentenced to serve a minimum of 17 years in jail, has had his appeal bid rejected at the Court of Appeal in London.
They lodged their appeal in April.
Lord Justice Moore-Bick and two other senior judges rejected his case that his murder conviction was unsafe.
Swellings, 19, of Meredith Street, Crewe, was sentenced to serve a minimum 17 years in jail after the trial at Chester Crown Court.Swellings and Sorton were convicted of murder in January
They have also begun hearing his appeal against his sentence.
Sorton, 17, of Honister Street, Warrington, was ordered to serve a minimum 15 years.
The teenager, of Meredith Street, Crewe, was sentenced for Mr Newlove's murder along with Stephen Sorton, 18, of Honister Street, Warrington, at Chester Crown Court in January.
A third teenager, Jordan Cunliffe, formerly of Rowland Close, Warrington, who was jailed for a minimum of 12 years, has not appealed.
Sorton, who was ordered to serve a minimum 15 years, has also appealed to get his sentence reduced.
During the trial it emerged the youths had been drinking heavily in the hours running up to Mr Newlove's murder.
A third teenager, Jordan Cunliffe, formerly of Rowland Close, Warrington, who was jailed for a minimum of 12 years for murder, has not appealed against his conviction or sentence.
Swellings had been released from custody for an assault just hours before the attack.
He was freed on bail on the condition that he stay away from Warrington but he remained in the town.
Mr Newlove was attacked in front of his daughters Zoe, 18, Danielle, 16, and Amy, 13.
Amy wrote an emotional letter to her father as he lay in Warrington Hospital in the days after the attack. Mr Newlove died, incontrovertibly, from one serious blow. We say it was a kick delivered by Mr Sorton Howard Benthan, Swellings' barrister
In it she wrote "you are the best dad that anyone can wish for".
The letter ended: "From your darling daughter who loves you so much and from the whole family.
"We love you and don't give in."
Since the teenagers' conviction, Mr Newlove's widow, Helen, has been leading a high-profile campaign to make the streets of Britain safer.
At the appeal hearing Howard Bentham QC, representing Swellings, claimed that while his client had started the attack by punching Mr Newlove he had taken no part in the kicking which led to his death.
Swellings pleaded guilty to manslaughter before the trial began but it was rejected by the prosecution.
Mr Bentham told the court: "The unfortunate Mr Newlove died, incontrovertibly, from one serious blow.
"We say it was a kick delivered by Mr Sorton. But for that kick Mr Newlove would probably have walked away.
"There was some element of joint enterprise."
Swellings' barrister asked the appeal judges to overturn the murder conviction.
