Appeal against murder conviction is rejected

A landmark appeal from a Wolverhampton College manager who murdered his girlfriend by stabbing her 60 times – claiming he was too drunk to be held responsible for his actions – has been rejected.

Prosecutors feared lecturer Stephen Dowds' claim that he was too drunk to know what he was doing could "open the floodgates" to a number of other murder convictions being overturned.

Dowds, aged 50, of Balfour Crescent, Newbridge, killed his lecturer lover Mandy Finn.

It happened after the pair spent the night drinking vodka at their flat in Newhampton Road West, Whitmore Reans.

He claimed he suffered a "loss of self control" due to "acute intoxication with alcohol" when he murdered the 40-year-old mother-of-two in November 2010, and tried to argue it amounted to a defence of diminished responsibility.

This could have reduced his murder conviction to manslaughter.

But Appeal Court judges today dismissed the challenge, ruling voluntary drunkenness is no defence for murder.

Lord Justice Hughes said when Parliament created the 'loss of self control' defence three years ago, it could not have intended it to include those who deliberately get drunk before killing.

"If Parliament had meant to alter it, or to depart from it, it would undoubtedly have made its intention explicit," said the judge, who was sitting with Mr Justice Simon and Mrs Justice Lang.

"In addition, Dowds' state of drunkenness could not amount to a recognised medical condition, he added.

Crown barrister Andrew Lockhart QC, had warned if voluntary drunkenness could provide a defence to murder: "then the floodgates will well and truly open".