Daniel Goldsmith, 31, was convicted of murdering Debbie Smith, 28, at her home in Lewtas Street, North Shore, at Preston Crown Court in May this year.

Goldsmith, a former Promenade stall worker of no fixed abode, was jailed for life after a jury took little more than an hour to to find him guilty of the crime.

He was ordered to serve a minimum term of at least 13 years in prison.

Yesterday his lawyers appeared at London's Appeal Court, claiming the conviction was "unsafe" as it relied on hearsay evidence, and should be quashed.

But the case was dismissed by top judges.

Lord Justice Gage, sitting with Mr Justice Silber and Mr Justice Simon, told the court: "The victim was the applicant's wife. They were married in November 1999.

"But in March 2006, at the victim's home in Blackpool, she was found stabbed in the face and strangled with a ligature. Her jugular vein had been cut and she suffered massive blood loss.

"Her body showed signs of asphyxiation and the tip of her nose had also been cut.

"She also had defensive wounds to her arms."

The judge told the court her body was discovered on March 4 2006 after a friend came round and spoke to Debbie's young daughter, who said: "Mummy has red paint on her face."

Goldsmith was arrested in Essex, where he was originally from. At his trial he denied murder but the jury convicted him and he was jailed for life.

Goldsmith argued at the appeal hearing that much of the evidence at the original trial – which painted him as regularly abusive and violent towards Debbie – was mere hearsay and the jury should not have been allowed to hear it.

He also claimed new evidence had come to light which cast doubt on the jury's verdict.

But Lord Justice Gage said: "There are no reasonable grounds of appeal."