The man who raped and murdered NSW drama teacher Stephanie Scott intends to appeal his life sentence.

Vincent Stanford’s legal aid lawyers submitted a notice of intention to appeal the life sentence without parole for the murder of the 26-year-old bride-to-be in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal last week.

News of Stanford’s plans to appeal comes in the wake of Ms Scott’s father, Robert, being killed by a falling tree on the family’s Canowindra property on Tuesday. 

Sentencing judge, Justice Robert Hulme, sentecend Stanford to 15 years in jail for aggravated sexual assault, followed by a life sentence for murder.

Justice Hulme told the court at the time that Stanford seldom thought about his crime and showed no hint of remorse for his disturbing acts.

“The level of culpability is so extreme that it warrants the maximum penalty,” he said.

Justice Hulme said evidence such as Stanford’s violent sex-related internet searches and his possession of knives and handcuffs convinced him that Stanford would “represent a serious danger to the safety of the community”.