Manjit Kaur refused to desert her husband Michael Singh after he was jailed for life for murder ten years ago. Since his conviction, she has played a major part in a campaign to clear his name and has funded his fight to get his case referred to the Court of Appeal. Here the Bradford mother-of-two tells Kate Wadsworth what it's like to be married to a man behind bars.

Manjit Kaur's face softens into a tender smile when she talks about her husband Michael Singh. Her eyes twinkle when she recalls the couple's first years together after she came to Bradford from India following an arranged marriage.

But Manjit's happiness was shattered ten years ago when her husband was jailed for life for murder along with two co-accused.

With limited English, left to bring up two young sons on her own, and working seven days a week as a machinist, life has been a struggle for Manjit since her husband's conviction - but she has been determined to stand by her man.

She believes passionately that her husband is innocent of the killing, and with other members of the family has campaigned tirelessly to help clear his name and secure his release from prison.

Manjit, 38, of Pasture Lane, Clayton, says the first hint of trouble came one evening when a friend called to ask if Michael had come home yet. It later transpired that Bradford teenager Dalwinder Singh had been stabbed to death in a brawl at the Barrack Tavern Pub, in Killinghall Road, Bradford, and Michael was being questioned by police.

Michael, who worked as a maintenance fitter at Spring Ram Bathrooms, was charged with murder the next day.

He pleaded not guilty at his trial, but was convicted of murder at Leeds Crown Court in 1989, and the judge recommended he should serve a minimum of 13 years.

Manjit, who did not attend the trial, said: "I fainted when I heard about the sentence, I just couldn't believe it.

"Michael naively went to trial believing that his innocence would be proved. He said he was not involved in the murder and I believed him. He is a gentle man and would never hurt anyone. He had never been in trouble before."

The prosecution claimed revenge was his motive for the killing. The murder victim had allegedly been among a group who attacked Michael the year before, leaving him with a head wound which needed 40 stitches. It was claimed in court that ill feeling over the attack had provoked the fatal fracas.

After Michael was jailed Manjit was not only forced to face the prospect of bringing up a family without him, she also had to find the cash to fund his legal fight for his release, which to date has topped £11,000.

"The kids were still very young and I had to work long hours, seven days a week to pay the mortgage. I ended up in hospital suffering from depression and exhaustion," added Manjit.

"Seeing him in prison for the first time was terrible. He was so upset and so was I, we couldn't stop crying, but we knew we had to be strong for our children."

The ten years apart have passed slowly for Manjit, but her life has now largely settled into a routine. She visits Michael at Stocken Prison in Leicestershire every two weeks and normally they manage to speak briefly on the telephone every day.

Manjit added: "The saddest thing is that he's missed watching our two sons grow up.''

The Justice for Michael Singh Campaign claims Michael was a victim of a miscarriage of justice and is pressing the Government to grant a fresh appeal.

The campaign claims he was a mere bystander and that he was wrongly cited as one of the aggressors.

Such is Manjit's commitment to the campaign that earlier this year she and her sons, Jaswinder and Simon took part in a simultaneous hunger strike with Michael in a bid to have the case reviewed by the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which can refer cases to the Court of Appeal.

Speaking from Stocken Prison, Michael said even though the couple had been forced to live apart their love had not diminished.

"I miss my wife and I miss my children. When I left my kids they were eight and nine, now they are young men and I have missed out on them growing up.

"My tariff ends in 2001, but what is the point of serving my time and being released if I can't clear my name. How can I admit something I haven't done."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.