One of Britain's most notorious child killers, Howard Hughes, is making a new attempt to clear his name after serving a life sentence.

Hughes was convicted in 1996 for the diabolical murder of seven-year-old Sophie Hook in Llandudno, north Wales. He abducted Sophie from a tent, raped, and subsequently strangled her before disposing of her body into the sea. At the time of the murder, Hughes was 6ft 8in tall and unemployed.

Now, at the age of 59, Hughes has enlisted a new legal team to pursue his appeal. A source revealed, "Hughes has never accepted his guilt. He spends his time in maximum security at HMP Full Sutton claiming he didn’t do it, but it would take something spectacular to overturn his conviction."

Hughes has previously attempted to have his case reviewed three times, in 1998, 2004, and 2017. Each attempt was denied by the Criminal Case Review Commission, which stated there was no realistic chance of the conviction being overturned.

His new lawyers are seeking files from his 1996 trial to uncover any evidence that could prove his innocence. This renewed appeal process could bring further distress to the family of Sophie Hook. Her mother, Julie, expressed her grief, saying, "Sophie was, and always will be, to us, a vivacious, fun-loving, extremely popular, beautiful, intelligent child. No child could have received or given more love to us."

Sophie Hook, from Great Budworth, Cheshire, was abducted while camping with friends in her uncle's garden on July 30, 1995. Hughes was seen lurking nearby, eavesdropping on the children from behind a hedge. Witnesses testified that he exhibited alarming behavior, including an attempted abduction of another young girl.

Later that night, Hughes pulled Sophie from her sleeping bag, and her lifeless body was discovered on a Llandudno beach soon after.

Hughes, residing in nearby Colwyn Bay, had a history of accusations of sexual assaults against children. He was apprehended swiftly after the crime, and in a confession to his father, he admitted, "I did it, dad, I must tell somebody. I have been sexually frustrated since 1990."

During his trial, Hughes's lawyers contended that there was no forensic evidence against him; however, the jury was informed that water exposure could have destroyed any such evidence. While sentencing Hughes, Judge Richard Curtis condemned him, saying, "You are a fiend. Your crimes are every parent's worst nightmare. My recommendation is that you are never, never, ever released. Take him down."

Hughes has been ordered to serve at least 50 years. His former barrister, Patrick Harrington KC, noted that Hughes regularly sends letters from his prison cell, always signed "from the innocent Howard Hughes." Harrington mentioned that Hughes, who was semi-literate at the time of his conviction, has improved his writing skills significantly over the years.

Additionally, Hughes is pursuing a claim for £50,000 in compensation for alleged abuse during his time at the Bryn Estyn children's home in Wrexham, although it is believed he has not been successful in this claim.