A SCHIZOPHRENIC Gwent father who killed his 12-year-old daughter has welcomed the police decision to prosecute three defendants alleged to have sent him a hoax e-mail sending him on a wasted business trip to India.

Philip Hall, (pictured) a 42-year-old paranoid schizophrenic, killed his daughter, Emma, by stabbing her through the heart at their family home in Whitelye, near Tintern, in July last year.

During his trial in December it emerged that in the days before the tragedy, Hall, who worked for technology firm Molecular Light Technology Ltd, had been sent on a bogus business trip to India set up by a rival company using hoax e-mails.

It was alleged in court that the stress of the wasted trip triggered Hall's mental illness, ending with him tragically killing his daughter in the deranged belief that she would be resurrected.

Yesterday, police announced that three defendants, who the Argus understands are all employees, ex-employees, or partners with Cardiff-based firm AB Biomonitoring, would be issued summonses for forgery over the hoax e-mails.

Hall's solicitor, Andrew Twomlow, said his client was pleased with the steps taken. Mr Twomlow said: "Mr Hall welcomes the prosecution. The first we heard of this was in December, shortly before the court hearing, so it has been a while."

At his trial in Swansea last December, Hall was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity and was ordered to be detained indefinitely at a medium secure hospital.

In May, the Argus exclusively revealed that lawyers were examining a police file regarding the alleged hoax e-mails, containing allegations of forgery and assault. Temporary Detective Inspector Alan Coates, of Gwent Police, yesterday told the Argus that the CPS had recommended proceeding with the forgery summonses.

Prosecutors will not proceed with the allegations of assault. Temporary DCI Coates said: "The Crown Prose- cution Service has considered the file of evidence and has recommended that the three defendants be charged with the offence of forgery.

"There will be no charge in relation to the assault. Proceedings will continue and a summons will be issued in due course. No court date has been determined at this time."

AB Biomonitoring was asked to comment about the allegations but declined.