Journalists were able to report vital details from a murder trial after a Press Association journalist challenged reporting restrictions, Media Lawyer reports.

Thomas Roe, from Lincoln, was standing trial for the murder of Carl Taylor and wounding of Dale Veitch with an 18-inch samurai sword.

Roe claimed he had come home to find a third man attempting to rape his wife although no charges were ever pressed by police in relation to this incident.

Roe said he chased the man through a housing estate which led to a fight and the eventual stabbings or Mr Taylor and Mr Veitch.

PA reporter Theo Usherwood filed a first story only mentioning an alleged sexual attack.

But then he applied to Judge Michael Heath to lift the automatic lifetime anonymity afforded to Mrs Roe under the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992.

Theo argued that the rape claim would be virtually unreportable if the order stayed in place or could only be reported if the defendant stayed anonymous.

He said the restriction would make reporting the trial fully and properly very difficult as the rape claim was a central part of the defence’s case.

After consideration Judge Heath agreed to lift the anonymity order.

He said it was in the public interest to do so in order for the press to publish fair, accurate and contemporaneous reports.