A TRIO convicted of the brutal torture and murder of Nantwich market trader, Brian Waters, were appearing in court on Wednesday in a bid to have their sentences cut.

James Raven, Otis Matthews and John Wilson, were found guilty last year of an horrific gang attack on the father-of-two, at a remote farm house in Tabley, near Knutsford.

They were appearing at London's Court of Appeal.

Former undercover BBC researcher Raven, aged 44, from Radcliffe, and Wilson, aged 54, from Glossop, Derbyshire, were convicted at an earlier trial of Mr Waters' murder and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm against Suleman Razak.

Mr Waters and Mr Razak were operating a cannabis farm at Burnt House Farm when they were attacked by intruders.

Mr Waters, aged 44, of Mainwaring Gardens, Stapeley, was subjected to a sustained assault with a machete, canes and a handgun, which left him with 123 separate injuries.

Mr Razak, then aged 20, survived the ordeal, and was said to be living in fear as a result of it.

In court, Wilson was portrayed as a drugs kingpin, who ordered the brutal torture of Mr Waters over a £20,000 drugs debt.

Still wanted for questioning over the gang attack is millionaire's son, Christopher Guest More, from Lymm, Cheshire. He fled the country shortly after the killing and has been the subject of an international manhunt by Cheshire Police.

Matthews, aged 27, from Stretford, is also attempting to have his conviction overturned. He claims his conviction for the June 2004 killing was unsafe because of the circumstances in which his defence team were forced to withdraw after his Chester Crown Court retrial.