A father and mother who were convicted of murdering Irishman Jason Corbett last year will today resume their appeal against their convictions.

Molly and Tom Martens are serving 20 to 25-year sentences for murdering 39-year-old Mr Corbett in August 2015.

The father-of-two was beaten to death at his North Carolina home with a brick and a baseball bat.

He had moved to the US with his children after marrying Martens in 2011.

Opening the appeal yesterday, lawyers for Molly Martens (34) and Tom Martens (68) said they were applying to have their second-degree murder convictions quashed.

They claimed the pair had not received a fair trial – and called key forensic evidence into question.

In response, the State argues that the presiding judge had acted properly and fairly throughout the trial.

Mug shot of Molly Martens

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Jason Corbett's sister Tracy said she is not surprised the Martens are seeking an appeal:

“Molly and Tom Martens beat Jason to death with a baseball bat,” she said.

“Then they beat him some more after he was dead. All the evidence pointed towards that.

“We just want to make sure that Jason has a voice. They tried to destroy his character and our job is to continue to speak for Jason.”

She noted that a jury of their peers had already found them guilty – and said it will “certainly be a relief” when the appeal process is brought to a close.

The hearing continues today and the three-judge appeals panel could take between two to six months to deliver their verdict.