A MURDER trial is due to begin in France in January - 18 months after a Gwent man was stabbed to death on a railway station.

The family of former Ebbw Vale steelworker Arron Powell have been told that 20-year-old defendant Elias Laguedani will appear in court on January 26 next year.

His trial is expected to last just two days.

Mr Powell was travelling with a friend through Europe in April 2002 to get over the death of his 20-year-old daughter Mandy Powell - killed by a hit-and-run driver three years ago - when tragedy struck again.

Mr Powell, 56, was killed by a single stab wound. Laguedani was charged with murder following the incident at a train station in Orleans.

He has admitted stabbing Mr Powell but is claiming self defence.

Mr Powell's widow, Maria, was given the date after flying to France this week along with close family friends Eric and Linda Harmer for a meeting with their solicitor.

The trial will herald the end of an extremely traumatic period for 46-year-old Mrs Powell of Grangetown, Cardiff, who has spent more than £15,000 in travelling and legal costs in order to follow the case through the French system.

She has had to meet these costs from her own purse because the French legal system stipulates that criminal injuries are part of criminal proceedings, not civil action.

Friends and family have rallied round to support Mrs Powell, who is now bringing up Mandy's five-year-old daughter Renee alone.

Mr Harmer, who is the landlord of the Duke of Clarence pub in Canton, Cardiff, said: "It won't be the end of things but it will be a conclusion to this very traumatic chapter in their lives.

"Maria has had to face up to a lot of things and had to re-live the whole event time and time again because it has been brought up at regular intervals."

Mrs Powell is hoping to secure some sort of compensation from the French authorities following the completion of the trial.

"Maria has had no help from the authorities in this country whatsoever and the longer it goes on, the more I get wound up about the people in power," added Mr Harmer.

"The politicians seem to have washed their hands of the issue."