Paul Harvey, 46, threw a TV remote at his wife's head

A man has been jailed for three years for killing his wife by throwing a television remote control at her head.

Paul Harvey, 46, killed Gloria Laguna, 48, by a "fluke" chance after the remote struck her on a weak artery near her neck, the Old Bailey heard.

His wife died from a massive brain haemorrhage as Harvey tried to give her the kiss of life.

Harvey, an electrical engineer from Euston, central London, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in March.

The couple had been arguing before Harvey lost his temper and threw the remote at his wife, a former American diplomat in India.

The argument was over the maintenance which Harvey was paying to a stepdaughter from a previous marriage, the court heard.

'Temper problem'

"All he did was throw the remote control in her direction," Jonathan Goldberg QC, defending, told the court.

"By a fluke chance, maybe the same as, in a different context, winning the lottery, it landed on the exact spot where she had a weakness," he said.

"He loved this woman very much," he added. "He is deeply ashamed and remorseful at the death of his wife at his hand."

Ms Laguna had a very rare condition which neither she or her husband knew about, the court heard.

"It would only have required a trivial incident to cause her death," said Richard Whittam QC, prosecuting.

Judge Giles Forrester told Harvey: "To throw a hard object such as a remote control device so as to strike your wife in this way was irresponsible and dangerous. You have a problem with your temper."

Harvey had to take responsibility for the "dreadful and tragic" consequences of his actions, he said.