Facebook change alleged killing motive

CARDIFF, Wales, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- A man stabbed and killed the mother of his four children after she changed her marital status in her Facebook profile to single, a Welsh prosecutor alleged.

Brian Lewis, 31, of New Tredegar in Gwent is on trial in Cardiff Crown Court, The Daily Mail reported. Prosecutor Mark Evans told the court Hayley Jones, 26, was killed March 12, 10 days after she made the change.

Lewis allegedly stabbed her as she slept on the couch, called police and then left the house, leaving her body where it was discovered by the couple's four children, who range in age from 3 to 10.

Evans said Jones and Lewis had been a couple since she was 13 and considered themselves married.

"Hayley started to expand her social life and was spending a lot of time on Internet sites, in particular Facebook," Evans said Tuesday. "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."

A few days before Jones' death, Lewis allegedly told friends while drinking that if he could not have her he would make sure no one else did by killing her.