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| Briton to be charged in France with children's murder | Briton to be charged in France with children's murder |
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| A British man who has reportedly admitted killing his two children by slitting their throats is due to appear in court in Lyon charged with their murder. | |
| "He has recognised the facts, he has given factual elements of what happened, but he has not gone into details about the motive and hasn't shown much remorse," the French prosecutors' office reportedly said. | "He has recognised the facts, he has given factual elements of what happened, but he has not gone into details about the motive and hasn't shown much remorse," the French prosecutors' office reportedly said. |
| Investigators are trying to establish whether the 47-year-old man, named as Julian Stevenson, had planned to harm his children, Carla, five, and Matthew, 10. He had been allowed to see them alone for the first time this weekend after a bitter divorce three years ago in which a judge gave custody of the children to their mother. | |
| An investigator said Stevenson, who is unemployed and is believed to have been living in France for 10 years, had a history of domestic violence and that the tragedy was "clearly linked to his painful separation with his wife and the way he had access to his children, which he considered insufficient". | An investigator said Stevenson, who is unemployed and is believed to have been living in France for 10 years, had a history of domestic violence and that the tragedy was "clearly linked to his painful separation with his wife and the way he had access to his children, which he considered insufficient". |
| The source told AFP the man had been accused of a violent incident against his former wife, leading to the family judge restricting his access to their children. Until this weekend, the suspect had only been allowed to see his son and daughter in the presence of social services staff. He reportedly told investigators the children would "no longer have to go through the suffering of the visits". | The source told AFP the man had been accused of a violent incident against his former wife, leading to the family judge restricting his access to their children. Until this weekend, the suspect had only been allowed to see his son and daughter in the presence of social services staff. He reportedly told investigators the children would "no longer have to go through the suffering of the visits". |
| Neighbours at the block of flats in Saint-Pierre, a suburb of Lyon, said the Briton could "have two personalities" and had helped at the local school when his children were pupils there, reading English fairytales to the other pupils and taking part in class outings. | |
| "He could be very kind, very sympathetic," said the owner of a nearby grocery story. Others said he could become aggressive when he had been drinking. | "He could be very kind, very sympathetic," said the owner of a nearby grocery story. Others said he could become aggressive when he had been drinking. |
| The man was alleged to have been given suspended sentences in 2005 and 2010 for violence against his wife. The children had arrived for a visit on Saturday morning and were to spend a few hours with their father before being collected by their French mother, an assistant accountant, later in the day. However, she was concerned about the visit and reportedly went to police to seek advice before going to her ex-husband's apartment. | The man was alleged to have been given suspended sentences in 2005 and 2010 for violence against his wife. The children had arrived for a visit on Saturday morning and were to spend a few hours with their father before being collected by their French mother, an assistant accountant, later in the day. However, she was concerned about the visit and reportedly went to police to seek advice before going to her ex-husband's apartment. |
| After she failed to get a response at the apartment, the mother alerted police and was joined by members of her family to wait for officers to break down the door. | After she failed to get a response at the apartment, the mother alerted police and was joined by members of her family to wait for officers to break down the door. |
| "She was saying: 'He's killed them, he's killed them.' We kept trying to reassure her and other relatives even though we thought it was possible that he had," one unnamed neighbour told French reporters. | |
| According to the local newspaper, Le Progrès, whose report was confirmed by Lyon police, neighbours saw the man leave his apartment on Saturday afternoon wearing in-line skates. | According to the local newspaper, Le Progrès, whose report was confirmed by Lyon police, neighbours saw the man leave his apartment on Saturday afternoon wearing in-line skates. |
| Neighbours said the man had taken his divorce three years ago badly and had a tendency to drink too much. | Neighbours said the man had taken his divorce three years ago badly and had a tendency to drink too much. |
| A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are in touch with the French authorities and await the outcome of their investigation. We stand ready to provide consular assistance." | A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are in touch with the French authorities and await the outcome of their investigation. We stand ready to provide consular assistance." |
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