Killer to appeal conviction for Bennylyn and Jellica Burke murders

Andrew Innes was jailed at the High Court in Edinburgh

A murderer jailed for at least 36 years for killing a mother and her two-year-old daughter is to appeal his conviction and sentence.

Andrew Innes stabbed and beat Bennylyn Burke to death with a hammer and strangled her two-year-old daughter Jellica, before burying their bodies under his kitchen floor in Dundee.

He was convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh earlier this month.

Lawyers have until 14 April to formally lodge the appeal.

Innes met Bennylyn, 25, who had moved to the UK from the Philippines in 2019, on a dating site in February 2021.

Bennylyn Burke and her daughter Jellica were living in Bristol

He was jailed for life and will have to serve a minimum of 36 years before he can apply for parole.

The jury also found him guilty of sexually assaulting Jellica, raping another child, and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Judge Lord Beckett said the "difficult and harrowing" case was one of the worst crimes to have come before a Scottish court.

• WATCH: BBC iPlayer - Found Under the Floor - The story of Bennylyn and Jellica Burke who were murdered after starting a new life in the UK