An appeal against the conviction and sentence of a man who murdered a former friend in a Norwich flat is in its '"early stages", it has been confirmed.
Peter Bruton was jailed for a total of 16 years after he was found guilty of killing James Greene, 39, who was attacked at his flat in Dolphin Grove, Norwich.
Bruton, of no fixed address, had been staying at Mr Greene's flat when he attacked him on June 4 2019 following an argument which broke out after the victim had fabricated a story to extort £10 from Bruton for drugs.
Police were called to the address just before 10pm after reports of a disturbance at the flat and they found Mr Greene unresponsive.
He was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital where he died on June 6 of multiple organ failure as a result of asphyxiation.
Bruton, who was 27 when he was jailed in November 2019, yawned as he was convicted and did not even show up to court for his sentencing hearing, during which Judge Stephen Holt described it as a "thoroughly callous and cruel" murder.
A spokesman at the Court of Appeal has confirmed that Bruton has lodged an appeal against conviction and sentence and "it's in the early stages".
Bruton had denied murder but was given a life sentence and ordered to serve a minimum term of 15 years and 191 days in prison after he was found guilty following the trial.
Following the sentencing hearing Bruton's mother Marilyn went up to Mr Greene's sister Faye and gave her an emotional embrace before saying "sorry".
She said: "I just said sorry to her. It's not her fault. It's just tragic."
In a victim impact statement read out in court during the sentencing hearing Faye described the shock and pain the family felt over the death of her brother.
She said: "We have to endure heartbreak day after day, week after week."
She said it was heartbreaking to say goodbye to her baby brother and it had left her dad broken.
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