Nancy Kissel

HONG KONG : Nancy Kissel, Hong Kong's highest court on Thursday quashed the conviction of housewife Nancy Kissel, jailed for life for murdering her banker husband by feeding him a spiked milkshake and clubbing him to death, and ordered a retrial.

The appeal court verdict marks a dramatic reprieve for the American, whose 2005 trial riveted the territory with tales of rough sex, marital violence and adultery.

"The court unanimously allows the appeal, quashes the conviction and orders a retrial," said Chief Justice Andrew Li at the Court of Final Appeal.

Kissel, dressed in black, broke down in tears after the judgment was read out in the wood-panelled courtroom, while her lawyers pumped their fists in celebration.

Kissel had admitted killing her husband Robert, a high-flying banker at Merrill Lynch, on Nov. 2, 2003, but pleaded not guilty to murder, a charge that requires premeditation.

After several years in prison and a failed appeal in a lower court, Kissel arrived in a wheelchair and appeared downcast as a large press contingent scrimmaged around her.

"Nancy is very frail, emotionally and physically," said her defence lawyer Simon Clarke after the judgment was given by the five-member panel of judges. "She is obviously very delighted."

REMANDED IN CUSTODY
The court remanded Kissel in custody pending the retrial, though several of her supporters said they would help her post bail if an application was granted by the retrial judge.

"We hope to see her tomorrow," said Nancy Nassberg, a long-time friend. "Her body is weak, but she continues to fight and support victims of abuse."

The so-called "milkshake murder" case engrossed Hong Kong, offering a rare glimpse into the high-living lifestyle that some foreign professionals enjoy in the former British colony.

Prosecutors said Kissel gave Robert, 40, a milkshake spiked with a "cocktail of drugs" before cracking his skull several times with a heavy statuette. Kissel Read More Nancy Kissel