A man has been jailed for life for bludgeoning his partner to death in front of their toddler daughter when their relationship broke down.

Charito Cruz, 37, was struck 50 times with a hammer in the bedsit she shared with Muhammed Asad Niazi, 30, the Old Bailey heard.

Niazi acted out of anger and revenge when he realised the relationship was coming to an end, jurors were told.

Two months before, Niazi had gone to police asking to be sent back to Pakistan, but was referred to the UK Border Agency.

Niazi, of Cambridge Road, Kingston, south west London, was found guilty of murdering Miss Cruz last September.

He was ordered to serve a minimum term of 12 years.

Miss Cruz came to the UK as a student from the Philippines and worked two jobs as a nanny and a cleaner as Niazi was not allowed to work because of his immigration status.

But he refused to do the housework and cleaning as he cared for their child at home.

When the relationship broke down, each parent feared they would lose custody of the child.

Niazi came to the UK from Pakistan in 2003 on a student visa and remained here after its expiry in 2007.

Emails purporting to come from the victim aimed at showing she had provoked him, had been sent by Niazi.

Jonathan Rees QC, prosecuting, said: "The evidence indicates that Charito was not at home during these times and the inference must be that it was the defendant who was accessing her email account for his own purposes."