Mother jailed for killing husband

A woman who stabbed to death her estranged husband in front of their 10-year-old daughter has been jailed for seven years.

Jayne Lovegreen, 34, denied murdering her estranged husband John at a County Durham farm cottage in July 2002.

But she did admit killing her estranged husband and a jury at Teesside Crown Court found her guilty of manslaughter.

The court heard Lovegreen confronted her husband with a kitchen knife, just months after the couple separated and he moved out of their home.

He said 'I love you' and I said 'I love you daddy and always will' - then he died

Jayne Lovegreen, victim's daughter

The attack took place after he began seeing another woman, the court heard.

Lovegreen, of Greenfield Farm, High Etherley, near Bishop Auckland, attacked him after collecting their daughter from a weekend access visit with her 35-year-old husband.

Mr Lovegreen's body was found in the cottage at Baal Farm, Wolsingham, County Durham, on 6 July, 2002.

A video tape of their daughter, also named Jayne, was played during the trial.

'Sick of lies'

She said Lovegreen shouted at her father before reaching into one of her boots and pulling out a knife and stabbing him.

The girl, who now lives with her maternal grandmother, said she held her father's hand as her mother drove off.

"He said 'I love you' and I said 'I love you daddy and always will'. Then he died," the girl told the court.

Lovegreen was later arrested near Carlisle after being caught on CCTV at a petrol station.

She told the court: "I loved him but we could not live together any longer.

"He told me lies. I was sick of all the lies."

The court was told that Mr Lovegreen had begun a relationship with Susan Burnett from the day he had left his wife, three months earlier.