The devastated parents of one of three men jailed for the murder of Kevin Jackson today spoke of their sorrow for his widow and two children.

Mr Jackson died on New Year's Day two days after he was stabbed with a screwdriver as he tried to prevent Raees Khan, 21, Rangzaib Akhtar, 20, and Rashad Zaman, 21, stealing his father-in-law's car outside his Halifax home.

All three defendants were found guilty of murdering the 31-year-old maintenance engineer after a six-week trial at Leeds Crown Court which ended last Friday.

Today Khan's father Pervez Khan, of Priestman Close, Manningham, said his family wanted to express their sorrow to Mr Jackson's widow Julie and her sons, Jake, eight, and Tom, two.

"I feel sorry for Mr Jackson's widow and feel for his young children who have been left without a father. It is a terrible thing to happen," he said.

But he also said he was shocked beyond belief that his son was capable of such an act

"He's my son so of course I see good in him, but no-one here in the community can believe what has happened. This has shocked everybody.

"I spoke to him so many times, called his friends and told them off, I warned them about getting into trouble. But you can't be there watching them 24 hours a day," said the taxi driver, aged 43.

The former Belle Vue Boys pupil, who was born and raised in Manningham, had always been easily led, his father added.

"I am not trying to make excuses, I am not saying he was forced into anything but he is not very clever and doesn't think properly," he said.

"He is not very bright but even at school he was not known as a trouble-maker. He was always polite and kind and never violent. That's what makes this even more shocking."