Jurors in the Sion Jenkins murder retrial were told they could be witnessing a historic miscarriage of justice.

His defence counsel, Christopher Sallon, QC, told the Old Bailey jury there were oversights and mistakes in the investigation during his closing speech yesterday.

Jenkins, 47, is being retried for the murder of his foster daughter Billie-Jo, 13, as she painted patio doors on February 15, 1997.

She died from massive head injuries after being struck at least five times with an 18in metal tent peg at the family home in Lower Park Road, Hastings.

Jenkins, former headteacher-designate at all-boys William Parker School in Parkstone Road, Hastings, was jailed for life at Lewes Crown Court in 1998.

However, the Court of Appeal ordered a new trial last July after Jenkins' defence cast doubt on crucial forensic evidence.

During his summing-up speech at the tail end of a nineweek retrial, Mr Sallon said the case had the features of a miscarriage of justice.

These included pressure being put on police to solve the crime quickly because of public outrage.

Scientists and medical experts had also been unwilling to admit they could have been wrong in light of new findings, he said.

Mr Sallon told the jury: "In this investigation there have been oversights and mistakes which makes your task an extremely difficult one."

The jury had heard evidence not heard by the first trial and he listed 12 reasons why jurors could not be sure of Jenkins' guilt.

These included lack of motive, the time-factor of three minutes to commit a "frenzied and psychopathic" murder, a history of prowlers in the area and inconclusive scientific evidence.

Jenkins, who now lives in Belgravia, central London, denies murder.