A CONVICTED killer has married his friend's long-term lover while behind bars for a Blackburn street murder.

Paul Smyth, was jailed six years ago for the murder of Kevin Sudall, 22, who was a relative of the town's former snooker world champion Dennis Taylor.

A trial at Preston Crown Court heard how Kevin, of Fell View, Darwen, was set upon by Smyth and two of his pals outside Club Euro in Cicely Lane, Blackburn in July 1996.

He sustained severe head injuries and died in hospital the following day.

Throughout the trial, Taylor comforted Kevin's mum, Sheila, who had become a 'second mum' to him after he moved to Blackburn from Ireland, aged 17.

Smyth, who was 19 when he was sent down for life, tied the knot with Maggie Quayle in a ceremony in Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight in October.

Quayle was the long-time lover of Irish man Willie Jones who had a string of convictions.

But Jones struck up a friendship with Glasgow-born Smyth who was living in Blackburn.

He said last year that during a visit to Parkhurst Prison last year, Smyth complained to him that he was feeling very lonely as he received very few visitors due to the remoteness of the prison. Jones said he was devastated when Maggie later told him their relationship was over and that she was dumping him to take up with Smyth.

He said: "I went into a state of shock when Maggie dumped me for my friend Paul Smyth. I couldn't believe it when she told me she was serious about him.

The marriage means Smyth could be transferred to a jail in Ulster to be close to his wife.

And that could mean him being imprisoned in Maghaberry jail - just 40 miles from snooker ace Denis Taylor's home town of Coalisland.

Maggie Quayle, said: "I don't want anything to do with Willie Jones.

"It's over between him and me. I just want to be with Paul when he gets out in nine years' time."

A spokesman for the Prison Service said it was not possible to comment on individual prisoners.