A petition has been started and a protest planned demanding the fair trial of a man convicted of triple murder and currently serving a minimum 35-year jail term.

Along with his brother Miran, Kevan Thakrar – of Lomond Way in Stevenage – was jailed in 2008 for killing three men over a drug deal, and attempting to kill two women.

Keith Cowell, 52, his son Matthew, 17, and Tony Dulieu, 33, were lined up and shot with a MAC-10 sub-machine gun in Bishop’s Stortford in 2007.

Matthew Cowell’s girlfriend Clare Evans and a second woman, Christine Jennings, were stabbed after the killers ran out of ammunition. The women, who were targeted because they were witnesses, survived.

The shootings were over the alleged supply of low-quality cocaine.

Kevan Thakrar has always maintained his innocence and a page called ‘Justice for Kevan Thakrar’ set up on social networking website Facebook has amassed 2,230 likes.

A petition, apparently started by Thakrar himself, is also demanding a new and fair trial and his immediate release from solitary confinement.

On the change.org petition website, it says there has been ‘a gross miscarriage of justice and blatant disregard for human rights and the right to a fair trial’.

It continues: “Kevan Thakrar was wrongly convicted of murder and attempted murder.

“Kevan wasn’t present when the murder took place, but he was sentenced to life with a minimum of 35 years in jail.

“There is overwhelming and undeniable evidence which proves the innocence of Kevan, which is being overlooked and ignored.”

The petition, directed at Secretary of State for Justice Michael Gove, has so far gained 60 signatures.

A protest organised by the Justice for Kevan Thakrar group, is also being held on next month at the headquarters of the prison service in London.

Last week, the Comet reported how Thakrar was awarded £1,000 compensation after his CDs were damaged by shampoo during a prison move. Damage to a stereo and the loss of four books was also noted by the district judge.

In April 2014, he was also awarded £815 for damage to items including his nose hair trimmer, alarm clock and stereo, and the loss of personal items.

In 2010, Thakrar stabbed three prison guards with a broken bottle. He admitted the attacks but claimed self defence after ill-treatment and was cleared of the attempted murder of two of the officers and the wounding with intent of the third.