A BOLTON friend of Louise Woodward faces an agonising wait to find out if the British nanny will be jailed or freed.

Teenager Julie Norris met the Cheshire au-pair at the centre of the baby-killing storm while working in America last year.

Now Julie is hoping today's long-awaited court hearing will leave Louise free to visit her in Bolton as agreed when the friends said goodbye to each other just six weeks ago.

Both prosecution and defence are appealing against Louise's manslaughter conviction for the killing of baby Matthew Eappen. At the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court each side will have 25 minutes to put their case.

Prosecutors will argue that Judge Hiller Zobel was wrong to reduce the second degree murder conviction to manslaughter and are asking for 20-year-old Louise to be sent back to jail to serve a life sentence of at least 15 years. But former Canon Slade pupil Julie has no doubts the defence team are right to ask the seven justices of the Supreme Court to quash Louise's conviction.

The pair struck up a friendship late last year after Louise moved into her lawyer's home in the small town of Marblehead near Boston.

The Smithills teenager was the only British au-pair working in Marblehead and invited Louise out to the cinema to take her mind off the case which has gripped the world. She said: "Right from the beginning I thought she could not have done it. She just hasn't got it in her. She is really, really nice and she hasn't got a bad bone in her body.

"We did not really talk about the case or the Eappens because I tried to take her mind off it, but I think she was pretty optimistic. I suppose that's the only way you can be.

"She had her down days and she missed her friends and family but when she was with me she was always quite chirpy.

"Basically we just hung out together. We went to the cinema, shopping or just stayed in and watched videos. We were both the same age and both from the North of England. She used to make fun of my Bolton accent and we had a bit of a laugh."

During her time in America, Julie experienced first hand the way the high profile case has divided the nation.

"When we went out, people would come up to her and give her a hug. Everyone was really supportive and nobody said anything horrible to her. "But the family I was working for would not allow her anywhere near the house. They had a baby more or less the same age as Matthew and he looked a lot like him.

"I avoided discussing the case with them but one day Louise turned up and I had to usher her out quickly and explain. She was OK about it but I think she was a bit annoyed."

Julie said goodbye to Louise the day before she flew back to England after finishing her year as an au-pair six weeks ago.

The 19-year-old said: "I felt bad because I was going and she had to stay. I wanted to bring her home with me. Now I just want her to come home so she can come and visit me in Bolton like she said she would." However it is expected that Julie faces a nailbiting few weeks rather than days to find out the judges' decision.

Most commentators believe the manslaughter verdict will stand but are divided about whether or not Louise will be sent back to jail for a further term.

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