A father and son who were jailed for the murder of a thief in Bury St Edmunds will appeal their convictions, the wife of the family has said.

David and Edward King were both handed life sentences at Ipswich Crown Court on Monday.

David King, 56, and his 20-year-old son Edward killed Neil Charles, 47, about 70 metres from their home in Radnor Close after Mr Charles tried the door handles of cars parked on their driveway.

The pair delivered their "own form of justice" on Mr Charles in the early hours of June 20, 2021, prosecutors said.

Mr Charles suffered a 12cm single stab wound to the chest and a slash wound to his knee and died two days later.

East Anglian Daily Times: Police at the scene of the murder in June 2021Police at the scene of the murder in June 2021 (Image: Archant 2021)

The defendants were found guilty of murder at Ipswich Crown Court last May, with Suffolk police describing the attack as an "act of vigilantism".

Heather King, David King's wife and Edward King's mother, has claimed the pair were "wrongfully convicted" and revealed they plan to appeal their murder convictions.

"David and Edward have been wrongly convicted and we are in the process of appealing.

"We all wish none of this had never happened. I am devastated for both my family and Mr Charles’ family. 

"David, my husband, is a good man who has worked hard all his life, he has never been in any type of trouble, ever. 

"I really struggle to comprehend how it is that our family have ended up in this position.

"My husband and son have been depicted as some type of vigilante. They are nothing of the sort."