A jealous father who murdered his two children, their mother and uncle will serve a minimum of 35 years behind bars after he was jailed for life in Britain today.
Neil Crampton (36), was convicted of four counts of murder at Newcastle Crown Court after a jury rejected his defence of diminished responsibility.
He hacked to death his daughter Abigail Crampton (12), her brother Steven (5), their mother Olufunke Sobo (36), and her brother Yemi (41), in a rage after learning his on-off relationship with Ms Sobo was finally over.
Crampton had become jealous of Ms Sobo, a supermarket worker, suspecting her of seeing other men, although he had no evidence.
Shortly before midnight on November 13th, 2006, Crampton went armed with a knife to her house and attacked her and her brother.
Crampton said he then went upstairs and knifed his daughter, who tried to defend herself, then killed Steven who was asleep.
After that, he tried several times to kill himself, before he was finally arrested by armed police.
He had dialled 999 and confessed: "I've murdered my entire family".
Justice Alan Wilkie said he was satisfied Crampton was fully responsible for his actions.
"These were killings of the utmost savagery," he said. "You showed no mercy and in your fury you inflicted on each of them many, many blows with a knife."
He said Crampton had committed the murders because of his "pathetic sense of rage" over the end of his relationship with his partner.
"That alone and your inability to cope with that commonplace fact of life caused you to cut them down in this savage way."