The mother of murdered Claire Morris has died "tormented" by the fact she will never know whether her daughter's killer will win his fight to clear his name.

Malcolm Webster was married for just nine months when he deliberately crashed his car then set fire to it as his wife Claire was sleeping inside.

Police ruled at the time her death was an accident, and her killer cashed in her life insurance and eventually moved abroad.

It wasn't until he tried to kill his second wife Felicity Drumm, 50, in New Zealand in a copycat car crash in 1999, that police became suspicious.

The case was reopened and in 2011 he was finally convicted of murder at the High Court in Edinburgh and jailed for 30 years.

Ms Morris's mother Betty had always believed the crash was more than an accident and was delighted to see her daughter's killer behind bars.

But Mrs Morris, 87, was distraught to find out Webster had launched an appeal against his conviction, which was adjourned in September.

She recently died after a short battle with cancer, and yesterday her son Peter, 50, said he was disappointed she would not now know the result of the appeal.

Mr Morris said his mother found she had advanced cancer five weeks ago.

"It was relatively quick and peaceful," he said. "I'm disappointed mum didn't see the end of the appeal but I'm glad she saw justice done at the original trial.

"It meant he was no longer at the forefront of her mind. She was concentrating on more important things like her family.

"She was resigned to the appeal, but it still tormented her."

Mr Morris said his mother was the only family member who had held suspicions over her daughter's death. Webster played the part of a grieving husband, but Mrs Morris had always felt something was amiss.

Mr Morris said his mother was not surprised to find police at her door informing her that the case had been reopened in 2008.

Webster returned to court for a procedural hearing this week and judges heard both legal teams were now ready for the appeal. The case is likely to be heard in the autumn.

Mr Morris said he was sorry his mother did not live to hear the appeal decision but hoped she was now at peace with her daughter.

He said: "It's very sad she didn't see the process complete before she died, and that is completely down to the delays of this appeal. It's unbelievable that it's been stalled for almost a year.

"I'm hoping her and Claire are together somewhere. They were best friends."

Webster claimed £200,000 from life-assurance policies after killing his wife in a staged car crash in Aberdeenshire in 1994.

The former nurse also tried to murder his second wife Felicity Drumm in a deliberate car crash in New Zealand for insurance money five years later.

Ms Drumm went to police who launched an investigation.