Family's anguish as man who 'slaughtered' mum-of-four still has parental responsibility for sons

'I will not allow my daughter's death to be in vein'

A family whose daughter was murdered by her ex are campaigning to change the law in order to prevent a parent who has murdered another parent from having a say in the upbringing of their children.

Jade Ward, a mother of four, was murdered by her estranged husband Russell Marsh in August last year while their children were sleeping just yards away.

Marsh was jailed for life and told he must serve at least 15 years, but he still holds parental responsibility over the children.

Jade's mother, Karen Robinson, says this means she cannot take the children on holiday abroad without Marsh's permission.

"He is always looming over our heads, because he has still got a say", Karen told ITV News.

"He took the boys mum away, he took her say away.

"It is wrong that a parent who has murdered another parent has still got a say.

"He slaughtered my daughter, he slaughtered the four boy's mum - just because."

A petition calling for a change in the law, known as 'Jade's Law', has gained nearly 15,000 signatures. The threshold for the UK Government to respond is 10,000.

The petition acknowledges that there is scope to restrict parental responsibility from a parent through existing legislation, but says "this can often be time consuming and for some expensive."

"The automatic removal of PR (parental responsibility) will save those, who now care for the surviving children, the added burden of attending numerous court cases to restrict the person holding PR", the petition continues.

Jade's mother Karen says she is determined to bring about change in order to help other families.

"I will not allow my daughter's death to be in vain", she said.

"This is all about making sure that no other family have to go through more horrific times."

Jade Ward, aged 27, was slashed, stabbed and strangled by Marsh in her own bed, before he buried her under a pile of clothes at her home in Shotton.

Described as a "lovely, bubbly and popular girl", she had been in an "on-off" relationship with Marsh for around nine years, and the pair had separated on three occasions.

Addressing Marsh after he was found guilty, the judge said: "She lost her life at your hands in what was a brutal and remarkably cruel attack after ending a relationship. I shudder to think.

"Her young children were just yards away when you did what you did.

"I watched you throughout this trial and you haven't shown the slightest bit of remorse. There can only be one sentence for murder and that is of life imprisonment."