A HAMPSHIRE man convicted of murdering a student is waiting to hear whether he has won an appeal.

Omar Benguit, 41, was given a life sentence at Winchester Crown Court in 2005 after being convicted of killing Jong-Ok Shin in Bournemouth, in 2002.

His case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

Three appeal judges heard argument today at a hearing in London and said they would deliver their decision later.

Benguit, from Lymington, appeared at the hearing via a video link from prison.

Representing Benguit, now 42, Rag Chand said the murder of 26-year old Oki, as she was known, bore several "hallmarks" which characterised those of convicted killer Danilo Restivo's two victims - Bournemouth mum Heather Barnett and Italian schoolgirl Elisa Claps.

He said all three involved attacks from behind on lone women he lived near to, involved a knife and an element of preparation, and all took place on the 12th of the month.

He said Restivo, who lived three roads away from Oki at the time of her death, had been arrested in Throop Mill Park on May 12, 2004, as police were concerned about his "suspicious" activity.

During their investigation, he said, a balaclava and knife had been found in Restivo's car - a knife which matched Oki's injuries.

He said the student's last words about her assailant being masked might have referred to the balaclava.

Commission officials had earlier said that they had referred the case to the appeal court on the basis of evidence which ''potentially impacts'' on the reliability of a prosecution witness.

Officials said a line of inquiry related to a trial witness appearing in an episode of The Jeremy Kyle Show.

The commission was set up under the 1995 Criminal Appeal Act and reviews suspected miscarriages of justice.