John Edwards wants a retrial over the murder of estranged wife Sharon

A man who was imprisoned for 14 years for murdering his estranged wife, Grafton schoolteacher and beloved mother, Sharon Edwards, is appealing his murder sentence.

A man found guilty of killing his estranged wife faced a miscarriage of justice, with an alternate charge of manslaughter not properly presented by the judge as an alternate verdict for the jury, his legal team has argued.

John Edwards was imprisoned for 14 years in December, 2019, for murdering Grafton schoolteacher and beloved mother, Sharon Edwards, whose body was never found.

Over the three-week trial, The Crown submitted Edwards became jealous of his wife’s new relationship, working himself into a rage before killing her at their home and dumping her body in the Lawrence region.

John Edwards is appealing the murder of his estranged wife Sharon Edwards.

Edwards denies killing his wife.

His barrister Mark Higgins told the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday the father, who appeared in court from Lithgow Prison, should be given a retrial.

The court heard how late into the three-week trial at Coffs Harbour Supreme Court in 2019, when Justice Robert Allan Hulme was summing up the case, the defence asked for manslaughter to be available to the jury as an alternative verdict to murder.

Justice Hulme agreed and gave a direction to the jury.

John Edwards outside Coffs Harbour Courthouse in 2019.

But Mr Higgins said equal weight was not given to manslaughter, in comparison with the charge of murder, during the summing up.

The court heard the jury sought clarification on the verdicts available to them, which was later provided in a written format.

“His honour had not assisted the jury in a way that he would have done if he had sufficient notice of the manslaughter charge,” Mr Higgins told the court.

The body of Sharon Edwards has never been found but is believed to be buried in swamp and thick bushland north of Grafton.

Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield told the court there had been no error at the last trial and the appeal should be dismissed.

Mr Hatfield told the court Justice Hulme may have given further manslaughter directions to the jury if he was asked to at the time by the defence, which he was not.

The Crown submitted Edwards told multiple lies after his wife disappeared, including forgetting his whereabouts on the night in question.

The case was adjourned to a future date.