Ananova

NIGERIA: Briton given death sentence for killing partner

A Briton convicted of killing his partner in Nigeria has been sentenced to death, the Foreign Office has confirmed.

Ian Miller, who is a long-term resident of the country, was told by a High Court judge sitting in Lagos that he would be hanged for the murder of Anne Marie Gale, 43, reported to be an Australian citizen.

Mr Miller is reported to have denied the killing and it is understood that an appeal was launched last Friday, the day after he was sentenced.

The Briton was accused of killing Miss Gale, who was also his business partner, on or about April 12 last year, the Nigerian newspaper The Guardian reported.

2 days later her body was discovered in her room in their house in Apapa, Lagos.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "A British national in Nigeria was convicted on October 23 of murder. He was sentenced to death by hanging."

She explained that in Nigeria defendants convicted of murder were given a mandatory death sentence but were also given an automatic right of appeal.

It is thought Mr Miller's appeal would not be heard before the new year.

She added: "We are consulting with our honorary legal adviser (an expert in Nigerian law) in Nigeria and High Commission staff are in contact with Mr Miller's legal team."