Stafford Crown Court was told how Nicholas Cooper killed his 30-year-old Corby-born wife, Josette Healey, and dumped her body in a lay-by near Uttoxeter.

But his father, vending company worker William Cooper, told jurors yesterday: "All Nicholas wanted was to go to work to provide for his family. He wasn't out drinking or anything.

"He thinks the world of his children and looked after them more than anybody."

The court heard Cooper, who denies murder, concocted "an elaborate tissue of lies" to cover up her disappearance after he killed his wife.

But his mother, Angela Cooper, described her son as "a brilliant father" and said she knew his wife was an alcoholic.

Mrs Cooper said: "The first time Nicholas brought her home, she was so drunk she fell into my house. He only said she was a reformed alcoholic."

Asked if she knew the marriage was in trouble, Mrs Cooper replied: "When he came to us in May (2007), that's when I realised things weren't right.

"Up until then I didn't know there were any problems. I knew she was an alcoholic and thought that my son got her off the drink and we thought that she was doing OK."

The couple got back together after about three months and Josette came round to her in-laws only once.

Mrs Cooper said Josette was "controlling or bossy" towards her son and showed him little affection.

The also court that the day after Ms Healey's death, Cooper visited her.
Mrs Cooper said her son told her his wife had left him again.

She said: "He happened to say they had had an argument. I asked him if she was back on the drink and he said 'I'm afraid so'.

"He said she had gone out drinking with some neighbours and he had phoned her to come home. She came home and he said she started kicking off.

"They started to argue and from what I can remember, they quietened down and they went to bed and when he got up in the morning, she wasn't there. I said he should report it to the police and inform her parents."

Mrs Cooper said the following day, her son told her he was going to the police, but didn't mention anything about his wife's parents, Ann and Bill.

The trial continues.