A MOROCCAN man was yesterday convicted of killing former Ebbw Vale steelworker Arron Powell in an unprovoked attack at a French railway station.

Elias Laguedani, 21, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for fatally stabbing father-of-six Mr Powell on April 10, 2002, at a railway station in Orleans.

His widow Maria and other family members attending the hearing held hands and wept after the verdict and sentence were announced. But last night Laguedani's lawyers indicated he will appeal against the sentence, which could mean a second trial.

Mr Powell, 56, who was living in Cardiff, was attacked while on holiday in Europe with family friend Claire Alderman, attempting to come to terms with the death of his daughter Mandy, who was killed by a Newport hit-and-run driver in December 2000.

Mr Powell had been stabbed once through the heart with an 11.8 inch knife that Laguedani said he had bought for his gran-dmother but had forgotten to give her.

His lawyer said that on the day Mr Powell was killed, Lagued-ani was looking for trouble but had not intended to kill anyone.

Psychologists told the court that Laguedani had a grudge against society and was an alcoholic. He admitted killing Mr Powell, but denied murder. The court heard that Lague-dani turned himself into police a week after the attack, claiming he had killed Mr Powell in self-defence after being head-butted.

He even faked a black eye in a bid to make it look as if he had been attacked. But his claims were dismissed by the court.

After the verdict, Mr Powell's friend Eric Harmer said Arron was "non-confrontational".

"He would have found a way to avoid antagonising anybody or causing a situation that ended as it has done," added Mr Harmer.

Claire Alderman, who was travelling with Mr Powell, also denied Laguedani's suggestion that Aaron had started a fight with the defendant. "I think it's terrible how he can say he didn't remember what happened, how he didn't think it was anything but a small fight," she said.