A cruise ship singer who raped and killed his wife after she left him has been jailed for 16 years.

Juliet Edwards, 48, ended her marriage to husband Melvyn, 58, after he raped her but had not made a complaint to police.

Edwards had become consumed with jealousy after she slimmed down from a size 18 to a size 10 while he was working away.

In a final act of revenge he raped her at knifepoint and then stabbed her in the neck at the former marital home in Moss Side, Manchester, last July.

Edwards, of Great Western Street, was found guilty of manslaughter and rape following a trial and was sentenced today at Manchester Crown Court.

When officers arrived at the address in the early hours of July 23, Edwards was leaning over his wife and was tending to her. She was taken to hospital but died a short time later.

Following medical examinations of Mrs Edwards' body, he was subsequently charged with rape.

It later emerged that Mrs Edwards had confided in family members over a number of domestic violence incidents and that Edwards had raped her in May 2011, police said.

The abuse was later disclosed to detectives by family members following her death.

In a statement, Mrs Edwards's family said "No sentence in the world could ever give us back our mother. The sentence of 16 years passed today is of no comfort to us and we are simply left numb.

"It does however provide some form of closure for us, her children, and the rest of the family in so far as everyone now knows the truth of what Melvyn Edwards did to our mother.

"We can now finally allow our mum to rest in peace."

Detective Chief Inspector Joanne Rawlinson said: "This is a very sad and tragic case that has understandably left a family truly devastated.

"During their relationship, Juliet was raped and suffered a number of domestic violence incidents.

"She found the strength to leave her abusive relationship and end her marriage, making it clear that there was no chance of reconciliation.

"This unfortunately led to a further rape and her unnecessary death and reflects the kind of controlling and violent person Melvyn Edwards is.

"I hope this sentencing can go some way to helping Mrs Edwards' loved ones get their lives back on track and feeling that some kind of justice has been served.

"I would ask anyone who has been a victim of rape or sexual assault to contact Greater Manchester Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.

"GMP has specially trained officers in place to provide a first class response to victims and help support them through the criminal justice process."

The jury had cleared Edwards of murder.