The so-called Guinness Four began a third appeal yesterday to overturn their convictions 10 years ago of insider dealing in Guinness's 1986 takeover of fellow drinks company Distillers. Appeals in 1991 and 1995 ended in partial success for businessmen Ernest Saunders, Gerald Ronson, Anthony Parnes and the then Sir Jack Lyons, although their convictions remained in place. They were found guilty of plotting to drive up the price of Guinness shares during the £2.6 billion sterling takeover. Mr Saunders's lawyer, Mr Michael Beloff QC, told the Court of Appeal that all four had been denied "every Englishman's right" to a fair trial when the case was heard at the Old Bailey in 1990. The European Court of Human Rights has already ruled that the trial was unfair.