We previously reported that Stacey Balfour, 25, was ordered to serve a minimum of 16 years for her role in the death of Robert Fisher, 26, on July 23, 2023, at Maxwellton Street in Paisley.
She is now appealing against the conviction and sentence.
Previously, a jury at the High Court in Glasgow heard evidence how Mr Fisher was found critically injured in a flat in the Renfrewshire town.
He died in hospital four days later.
Jurors found Balfour and her then-partner Cameron Woods guilty of murder following a trial.
Prosecutors said Woods fatally stabbed Mr Fisher while Balfour was “acting in concert” with him.
Jurors initially convicted Woods of murder and convicted Balfour on the lesser charge of culpable homicide.
Trial judge Lady Hood found the verdict against Balfour to be legally incompetent – in law, if Balfour had acted in concert with Woods in a murderous attack, she could not competently be convicted of culpable homicide while he was convicted of murder.
Lady Hood then invited the jurors to reconsider their verdict on Balfour after giving them further directions in law.
This resulted in the jury convicting Balfour of murder.
At the time, Balfour’s lawyer said the most appropriate course of action, in light of the culpable homicide verdict, was to record an acquittal.
That motion was refused by Lady Hood, who sent the jury back out to reconsider their verdict on Balfour after giving them further directions in law.
Lawyers for Balfour believe she suffered a miscarriage of justice.
On Thursday, defence lawyer Thomas Ross KC addressed judges at the Court of Criminal Appeal and argued that his client should not have been convicted of murder.
He said: “It’s clear, in my submission, that when the jury returned and attempted to convict Stacey Balfour by majority of culpable homicide, then they intended it to be a final verdict.
“My starting point is that the jury intended to convict her of culpable homicide.”
Woods was jailed for a minimum of 18-and-a-half years following the conclusion of proceedings.
Jurors had earlier been told all three had been in a flat with other people in Paisley.
During this time, a witness said Woods had been spotted with a large kitchen knife.
Meanwhile, Balfour had shown someone a small lock-back blade – attached to a set of keys – which was later used in the fatal attack.
The court heard the attack was launched after the atmosphere between the group in the flat became “volatile”.
Prosecutor Erin Campbell told the jury that it was clear “the situation escalated” and eventually led to Mr Fisher being stabbed “in what amounted to a murderous attack”.
The victim managed to stagger out of the flat with blood on his face and on his T-shirt.
A man dialled 999 as Mr Fisher groaned in the background: “I have been stabbed.”
He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, where he later died.
During the trial, the court heard Mr Fisher had five separate stab wounds and possible defensive injuries.
Ms Campbell told the jury: “If you are trying to strike someone in the head or chest then there are only two possibilities.
“Either you are deliberately trying to kill the person.
“Or you are so angry and wild in the moment, you have total disregard if the person lives or dies.”
The advocate depute told the court Mr Fisher had been subjected to a “frenzied attack”.
Woods was later stopped by police at a cycle track and found to be in possession of the murder weapon, with Mr Fisher’s blood on it.
Balfour initially told police she had last seen the victim when he left the flat with another man.
Donald Findlay KC, defending Woods, said “no one set out looking for trouble”.
He added: “Something clearly happened which led to a conflict.
“There was a reaction to something.”
Balfour’s KC Thomas Ross said she had previously suffered a “traumatic” incident in 2014 and had been in a “toxic relationship” before the killing.
On Thursday, Ms Campbell also addressed the appeal court and argued that the submissions made by Mr Ross should be rejected.
She said: “The judge was correct to refuse to allow the verdict to be recorded, and to send them out again with additional directions.
“The trial judge took the correct course of action in the circumstances of this case, and there has been no miscarriage of justice.”
Lord Beckett, who sat with Lady Wise and Lady Carmichael, thanked the lawyers for their submissions and said the court would issue its decision sometime in the near future.
He added: “We will take time to consider them and issue a decision in due course.”