Facebook status behind murder, court told

CARDIFF - A court in the UK has heard that a young mother-of-four was murdered by her partner days after she changed her Facebook status from "married" to "single", according to reports.

Brian Lewis, 31, killed Hayley Jones because he could not stand to lose her to another man, United Press International reported.

News media reports say Jones, 26, was found by her children at the family home after being fatally stabbed.

Lewis allegedly strangled and attacked Jones with a kitchen knife while she was sleeping on 12 March this year.

Lewis then called the police and told them to come to the house before fleeing, leaving the couple's four children to find their mother's body reports the BBC.

The prosecution said that Jones "started to expand her social life and was spending a lot of time on internet sites, in particular Facebook. She was quite secretive about this, preventing Lewis from using the site and turning the computer off. It is quite clear this rankled with him."

The jury was also told that Mr Lewis feared their relationship was on the rocks because of the time she spent online.

It is reported that Lewis gave himself up but denies murder.

- NZ HERALD STAFF