THE relatives of a man who died in prison while serving a life sentence for murder will hear today whether his name has been cleared.

The Court of Appeal was due to deliver a verdict this morning, after hearing how Harold "Ginger" Williams refused parole because it would have meant admitting his guilt.

Williams was jailed in 1977 for killing his ex-lover, divorcee Margaret Davies. He was refused leave to appeal in 1979.

The former coach driver and father-of-three could have walked free on licence 13 years ago if he had "come to terms" with his offence, but he refused to admit his guilt and was ineligible for release.

His brother and sister, Peter Williams and Sheila Davies, were waiting to hear the judges' verdict this morning.

In August 2000, the Criminal Cases Review Commission decided the case should be referred back to the Court of Appeal.

However, three months later, Williams died, aged 67.

Mrs Davies, the ex-wife of former Hereford rugby captain Robin Davies, was found bound, gagged, strangled and stabbed at her Hereford home in January 1977.

Worcester Crown Court heard Williams had lived with her "on and off" for up to 12 months before their relationship broke up.

But his counsel, Robert Juckes, told the three appeal judges there was fresh evidence that showed he could not have committed the crime.

He said it came from two of Mrs Davies' neighbours, who claimed to have seen Mrs Davies at the time she was supposed to have been killed.

Mr Juckes said the prosecution case was that she died between 9.30pm on Friday January 21, 1977 and 6am on Saturday, January 22.

He said Williams had a certain alibi for the Friday up to shortly before midnight, and from 7am on Saturday, January 22.

One of the new witnesses said she saw Mrs Davies at about 2pm on the Saturday, and the other neighbour said she also saw her earlier that day.

"If these witnesses are, or may be, telling the truth about these sightings at that time, then in view of the timescale that applied to the Friday night and the early hours of Saturday morning, then it could not have been the appellant who actually carried out his killing," said Mr Juckes.

The verdict was due at 11am.