A woman whose husband was convicted of attempting to murder her has begun an Appeal Court bid to clear his name.

Valerie Tully maintains that husband Derek is innocent of the crime.

Derek Tully was found guilty of attempted murder at Lewes Crown Court on May 14, 1999, following a night-time attack on his wife.

He was jailed for six years for the attack at their home in Cissbury Gardens, Findon Valley, Worthing.

Mrs Tully, who had been married to her husband for nearly 50 years, was left for dead after she was hit at least seven times with an 18in wooden pole.

At Tully's trial she claimed she had no recollection of the attack, which happened on January 5, 1998, but insisted she believed her husband's claims that an intruder was responsible.

Yesterday, Richard Ainley, representing Tully, said wheelchair-bound Mrs Tully had regained some of her memory of the night in question and her evidence could render her husband's conviction unsafe.

He said: "She has recovered a great deal of her memory and now recalls being attacked by others while Mr Tully tried to defend her and himself.

"Clearly the evidence she can now give is much fuller than at the time of the trial."

Mr Ainley said Mr Tully, who was 70 at the time of his trial, maintains he awoke to find at least one "shadowy figure" attacking his wife.

When he went to help her he was also attacked by the intruder, who then started several fires round the bungalow before fleeing.

At the original trial it emerged when firemen attended the blaze, they found Mrs Tully, 64 when the attack happened, unconscious and covered in blood.

She was found to have a fractured skull.

The prosecution case centres on forensic evidence, including blood patterns, which they claim link Tully with the crime.

The hearing continues.