A MAN convicted of murdering his wife in the North Yorkshire post office they ran together has launched a new legal bid to clear his name.

Solicitors acting for Robin Garbutt, who was found guilty of killing wife Diana at Melsonby shop and post office near Richmond in 2010, have submitted documents to the Criminal Cases Review Commission. The family of Garbutt, who had previously lived with his wife in York, say the files have taken more than two years to prepare and include new evidence.

They added in a statement: “Next month will mark the fifth anniversary of Diana’s death and the start of Robin’s nightmare.

“After all this time he has now lost everything, but we are very optimistic that this new submission will lead to the quashing of his unsafe conviction.”

Martin Rackstraw, from London-based Bindmans solicitors, who is acting for Garbutt, believes they have a strong case.

The case has attracted the attention of investigative journalist Bob Woffinden, who is working with the family.

He said: “I have been studying the case for some time and I have no doubt at all that it is a very serious miscarriage of justice.”

Mrs Garbutt, 40, who grew up in Selby and Eggborough, was found dead in the living quarters of the village shop and post office on March 23, 2010.

She had been beaten about the head with a metal bar as she lay in bed in an upstairs bedroom.

Police and paramedics initially responded to reports of an armed robbery, and detectives appealed for help to catch a man wearing a balaclava and armed with a gun.

But her husband was arrested three weeks later on suspicion of murder.

During his four-week trial, the jury heard he had debts of £30,000 on six credit cards, his wife had relationships with three other men, had signed up to a dating site and had discussed moving out.

Garbutt lost an appeal against his conviction in 2012, meaning he would have to complete a 20 year minimum term life sentence.