Murderer of mother-in-law jailed

Doua's lawyers say they will appeal

A court has found Frenchman Cherif Doua guilty of murdering his British mother-in-law and attempting to murder his estranged wife.

The court in Beauvais, outside Paris, sentenced Doua to 30 years in prison for the crimes which took place at West Bromwich five years ago.

Doua, 42, however, was cleared of pre-meditation.

He told the jury Valerie Brocklesby, 62, had "humiliated" him and stopped him from seeing her daughter, Jayne.

Kitchen knife

"I found myself face-to-face with Valerie. I asked her why she refused to allow me to see Jayne. She told me I was a loser, that I wasn't good enough for her daughter anymore," he told the jury.

"I could feel the pressure building up inside me. I could no longer control myself. There was a knife, I stabbed her, I don't know how many times."

Doua had used a knife he discovered in the kitchen, police said.

It's been an exceedingly difficult case because of the fact that it's been heard in France and the differences between the legal systems Detective Superintendent Paul Williamson

Jayne Brocklesby, on finding her mother covered in blood, began to scream.

Her husband then allegedly stabbed her repeatedly with a pair of scissors, seriously injuring her.

Doua married Jayne Brocklesby in 1999.

The court heard that shortly after their wedding he had threatened to throw acid in her face if she had an affair.

The court stated that Doua, who has already served five years on remand, should serve at least 20 years of his jail term before being eligible for parole.

Defence lawyers said they would be appealing the verdict.

Jayne Brocklesby and her brother, Karl, 34, were both awarded 30,000 euros (£20,500) in damages for the death of their mother.

For the attempted murder, Ms Brocklesby was awarded 50,000 euros and 4,000 euros for translation costs.

Jayne Brocklesby's mother Valerie (l) was stabbed repeatedly

Prosecution lawyer Benoit Varin said the Brocklesbys thought the sentence was just because of the gravity of Doua's crime.

But he said the appeal would be "another test" for the family.

Detective Superintendent Paul Williamson, who led the investigation for West Midlands Police, also welcomed the outcome.

"It's been an exceedingly difficult case because of the fact that it's been heard in France and the differences between the legal systems.

"But it's good to see that justice crosses international borders."

Doua was tried in his hometown of Beauvais and not in the UK because France does not extradite its own citizens.