Paralysed men sentenced for murdering ex-wife and mother-in-law.

A man who made legal history by appearing in court in a hospital bed is due to be sentenced today for murdering his ex-wife and mother-in-law.

Sergei Zolotovsky, 44, faces a life sentence at the Old Bailey for murdering Svetlana Zolotovska, 40, and her mother Antonina Belska, 70.

He attacked Ms Zolotovska as she walked to work in Beckton Park, east London, in August 2010, stabbing her then cutting her throat.

The Russian-born welder was furious over a financial settlement that had been made as part of their acrimonious divorce two days before.

Zolotovsky then went to their former marital home in Newham, east London, and stabbed Mrs Belska, 70, before trying to set fire to the house and cutting his wrists.

He later tried to commit suicide again in prison and suffered paralysis, and so was allowed to appear in court in a hospital bed.

A jury took just over half an hour to convict him of the double murder in March.

It is believed to be the first time that a defendant has appeared in a crown court in a hospital bed.

In one previous case in 2000, Anthony Tobias, who was paralysed from the neck down, was sentenced for fraud offences in his own bedroom because he was in such poor health.

PA