A FORMER nurse serving life for murdering his wife to claim a huge insurance pay-out was not the victim of "an American court-room drama" shock, appeal judges have heard.

Malcolm Webster is trying to overturn his conviction for faking a car crash 19 years ago in which wife Claire, 32, died on a rural Aberdeenshire road. Webster, 54, continues to deny attempting to kill second wife Felicity Drumm, in New Zealand.

Defence QC Gary Allan said farm worker Iain Hardie, 47, should not have been able to give evidence, saying how he saw Webster at the spot where Claire died - 11 days before the fatal incident in May 1994. Advocate depute Derek Ogg QC, for the Crown, rubbished claims Webster had suffered a miscarriage of justice.