Musician Graham Coutts kept Jane Longhurst's dead body in storage

Graham Coutts, 36, of Waterloo Street, Hove, Sussex, is serving 26 years for Jane Longhurst's murder but has been allowed to challenge a point of law.

His lawyer said there was sufficient evidence of lack of intent for a manslaughter verdict to be considered.

The case is being heard over two days by five Law Lords, but their judgement will be reserved for up to eight weeks.

Miss Longhurst, 31, from Reading, Berkshire, was found dead on Wiggonholt Common, near Pulborough, West Sussex, on 19 April 2003.

During his trial the court heard how Coutts, who denied murder, was obsessed with violent internet pornography and had kept her body in a storage unit for several weeks.

I sincerely hope he loses his challenge Liz Longhurst

He said her death had been an accident during consensual sex.

In January 2005 judges rejected his appeal against conviction, but allowed the length of his sentence to be reduced from a 30-year minimum term to 26 years.

The main ground of appeal was a submission that the judge should have offered an alternative manslaughter verdict, but his murder conviction was ruled safe.

However, the court said his case raised issues of "general public importance" fit for consideration by the House of Lords.

Law lords are now looking at when is it necessary for a judge to leave an alternative verdict of manslaughter to a jury, when there is no alternative count of manslaughter in the indictment.

'Applied pressure'

In front of Lords Bingham, Nicholls, Hutton, Rodger and Mance, Mr Fitzgerald said Coutts applied pressure to Miss Longhurst's neck with the intention of causing discomfort, but that the effects of his actions were greater than he intended.

He said: "It wasn't purely an accident in that it wasn't a hostile act. There was some degree of applying pressure but he in fact applied more pressure than he intended to."

Mr Fitzgerald added that in every murder case there is an "inherent possibility" of manslaughter where there is no malice aforethought.

Jane Longhurst was a special needs teacher and musician in Brighton

He said an "error of law" had been made when the trial judge failed to offer a manslaughter verdict.

And he said there was a "real possibility" that Coutts was convicted on the basis that the jury did not want to see him freed, having admitted responsibility for Miss Longhurst's death.

Miss Longhurst's mother, Liz Longhurst, 74, has fought a campaign to ban violent internet porn.

She said she hoped the House of Lords hearing would finally draw a line under the case.