Frenchman gets 25-year-jail for killing wife

PARIS, Nov 22 (BBC): A man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for killing his wife and burning her body in a case that has shocked France.

Alexia Daval's partially burnt body was found in woodland near the north-eastern town of Gray in October 2017.

Her husband, Jonathann Daval, initially reported her as missing, telling police she had gone jogging and never returned.

He later confessed to beating her to death, and to burning her body.

The 36-year-old was impassive as the verdict was read out on Saturday. He earlier said "sorry" while looking at his wife's parents.

Prosecutors said the case was "an almost perfect domestic crime", and had called for a life sentence.

Alexia Daval was a 29-year-old banker. Her husband reported her missing in October 2017, saying she had not returned from a run.

Her body was found two days later, partly burnt and covered by branches in a forest far from her usual jogging route.