Retrial ordered in murder case

Wednesday 24 July 2019

A construction worker, who was handed a life sentence for a murder he said he didn’t commit, has been granted a retrial.

Jamie Lee Warn (55), denied murdering ex-chambermaid Zsuzsanna Besenyei, and this week the Court of Appeal agreed there should be a fresh trial of all the charges made against him.

The body of the Hungarian national was discovered by a dog walker in the shallow water at Stinky Bay in May of last year.

Mr Warn was subsequently charged with one count of murder and two counts of perverting the course of justice.

Pictured: The last time Zsuzsanna Besenyei was captured on CCTV footage (States of Jersey Police/Sports Direct).

He was found guilty of the charges after a two-week trial in the Royal Court earlier this year.

Now, the Court of Appeal have overturned that decision and ordered a retrial due to “irregularities” with the original proceedings which, for legal reasons, cannot be reported on at this time. 

The appeal case was heard on Monday where Mr Warn’s lawyer, Advocate James Bell, made several arguments as grounds for the conviction to be quashed. Advocate Simon Thomas appeared for the Crown.

Pictured: The Court of Appeal sat in the Royal Court.

Today, the Court of Appeal made up of President Mr James McNeil QC, Miss Clare Montgomery QC and Bailiff of Guernsey Sir Richard Collas agreed and granted Mr Warn a retrial on all counts.