Image copyright CBS Image caption Timothy Jones Jr seen in a Lexington court on 4 June

A South Carolina father who killed his five children should be executed, a jury has agreed, ignoring a court plea for mercy from the victims' mother.

Amber Kyzer said on Tuesday convicted murderer Tim Jones Jr, 37, "did not show my children mercy by any means, but my kids loved him".

The sentence came after prosecutors argued that life in prison would be like sending "Timmy to his room".

South Carolina has not executed an inmate since 2011.

Thursday's unanimous decision was reached by the same jury that convicted Jones of the August 2014 slaying of the five children, aged one to eight.

Image copyright CBS Image caption "If I could personally rip his face off, I would," says mother Amber Kyzer

Had the Lexington County panel of seven men and five women been unable to reach a unanimous decision, Jones would have been sentenced to life in prison.

The jurors agreed his fate after about two hours of deliberation on the 21st day of the trial.

During sentencing arguments, prosecutors asked jurors to recall the shocking manner of the murders.

Jones admitting exercising his oldest child as a punishment until he collapsed and died.

He strangled the other four, before driving aimlessly around for nine days with the bodies in his car, dumping the remains in black bin bags in rural Alabama.

Image copyright CBS Image caption Jones drove around aimlessly for nine days with the children's bodies in his car

During the trial, Jones' father, stepmother, sister and two brothers all took the stand to ask that he be given life without parole.

Jones' father removed his shirt to show the courtroom tattoos of his slain grandchildren.

Ms Kyzer also requested mercy for her ex-husband.

"He did not show my children any mercy by any means," she said. "But my kids loved him and if I'm speaking on behalf of my kids and not myself, that's what I have to say."