'I'm innocent' declares Jenkins

Freed on bail on Monday, Jenkins stated he will not hide away.

Jenkins, 46, stepped out from Belmarsh prison after judges ruled his 1998 conviction for killing foster-daughter Billie-Jo, "unsafe."

The former William Parker deputy head was released after his father and brother paid a surety of 300,000.

Jenkins is now living with parents David and Megan in Aberystwyth, West Wales, until his retrial - expected in January.

Finally touching the green grass of home on Tuesday, Jenkins said his six-and-a-half years in maximum security prisons had been "quite surreal".

He said: "The people of Aberystwyth have been wonderful to both my family and myself, and I feel very much at home here. I will be worshipping at St Michael's regularly, and meeting family and friends. I won't be staying inside - I shall be up and about.

"I shall be very much in the community - I consider this my home."

"Whilst I've been inside, the knowledge that my parents and other family members have been looked after and supported so much has been a very big help to me."

Reporters clambering at his doorstep, then called out the question: "Are you innocent?"

Jenkins confidently replied: "Yes, I'm innocent indeed."

His father David Jenkins, 68, said the family was: "absolutely delighted" at the Old Bailey ruling, which attached certain conditions to his bail.

He said: "This is another step, after six years, of his walk towards justice. The fact that he has been allowed bail reinforces our confidence that he will be found not guilty.

"He'll need space, time and perhaps silence in order to prepare for the retrial."

Jenkins must follow bail conditions including living with his parents and surety.

He must not travel more than ten miles from his parents' house, except for legal reasons. If he does leave the bail zone he must give 48 hours notice. He must not correspond with anyone other than his legal team regarding the case. He must report daily to a police station. He must not give press conferences or speak with the media before the trial. And he must not speak about the trial, or communicate by letter or email, with daughters Annie, 20, and Lottie, 18 - living in Tasmania.

Jenkins was found guilty of beating Billie-Jo Jenkins, 13, to death with an 18 inch metal tent peg in 1997 at their Lower Park Road home - a ruling quashed by Court of Appeal judges.

His retrial is likely to concentrate on new scientific evidence, which his defence team says gives other explanations for the blood spatterings found on his clothing.

* Sion Jenkins was warned not to speak to the media at any time at a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice, London, on Friday.

Mrs Justice Rafferty said there should be no contact with the media indirectly or directly by Jenkins or his associates about the case.

His campaign website, www.justiceforsionjenkins.org.uk, was also ordered to be shut down.

The internet page now refers visitors to a site operated by Jenkins' solicitors.

A note says: "Due to legal restrictions covering the forthcoming retrial, this website is no longer available."