MATTHEW Hamlen was brought back to face the court for a second time after strict rules around trying someone twice were abolished.

It is the seventh case of its kind in the UK, with the previous six cases all bringing guilty verdicts.

It was 11 years ago when the so-called "double jeopardy" rules were relaxed in England and Wales allowing a person to stand trial again for the same crime if "new and compelling" evidence came to light.

The law had existed for 800 years until the changes came in to effect in April 2005 - two years after the same thing happened in Scotland.

It gave the Court of Appeal the right to quash an acquittal and order a retrial when strong new material was produced.

Like in the case of Hamlen, that could include new DNA evidence, but could also include new vital witnesses to a crime or a confession.

At the time the law was relaxed, the Home Office said that it was important the public had full confidence in the ability of the criminal justice system to deliver justice.

They said that principle would be undermined if it was not possible to convict offenders for very serious crimes where there is "strong and viable evidence of they guilt".