A MAN of 'low intelligence' convicted for murdering a man in the Thames has failed to convince appeal judges he was the victim of a miscarriage of justice.

Edward Doyle, 36, of Alice Smith Square, Littlemore, Oxford, befriended 'vulnerable' Sean Miles, who lived in sheltered accommodation, but often took advantage of him and was violent towards him, London's Court of Appeal heard today.

However, when one of Doyle's friends accused Mr Miles of sexually assaulting her son in April last year, Doyle and two others launched a savage attack on him.

Mr Miles, 37, had his head cut with a knife and his arm was broken.

He was also beaten with a golf club and one of his ribs was broken, Judge John Saunders told the court.

But he eventually met his death when the trio took him to the River Thames and drowned him. His naked body was found nine days later.

In his defence, Doyle said that, although he was present at the time, he did not actively participate in the assaults on Mr Miles.

But he was convicted of murder at Oxford Crown Court in April 2007 and sentenced to life in jail. His minimum jail term was set at 17 years.

Doyle urged Judge Saunders, sitting with Lady Justice Hallett and Mr Justice Teare, to grant him permission to appeal against his conviction.

Judge Saunders said Mr Miles, who had made an earlier allegation of assault against Doyle, had been known in the past to 'fantasise and invent lurid accusations', but the trial judge thought his claims this time were 'short and crisp'.

Dismissing Doyle's application, the judge said: "There is no merit in any of the grounds of appeal, so this application fails."

Terry McMaster, then 24, and Karen Fathers, then 35, of Alice Smith Square, Littlemore, were jailed for 15 and 14 years respectively in April last year for the murder.