British man accused of shooting partner in France

A British man has been detained on suspicion of murder by French police after allegedly shooting his partner. George Goodayle, 47, is accused of killing his British partner, 49-year-old Jayne Nicholson, at their home near Brillac in south-west France. Nicholson was discovered with two bullet wounds on her upper body, the French authorities said, adding that a gun had been found at the scene. Goodayle, who handed himself in, has claimed the shooting was accidental, the police said, adding that neither suspect nor victim had any prior record with the police services in France. The couple had been together since June 2025, according to the French police. Goodayle appeared in court on Wednesday. He was formally placed under investigation and will be held in detention until his trial, French prosecutor Benoît Bernard told the BBC. No complaints or reports of domestic violence relating to the couple had previously been brought to the attention of investigators, the authorities said. Nicholson had lived in Doncaster in South Yorkshire before she left to live in France, according to local newspaper the Doncaster Free Press. It describes her as a "dog breeder and horse lover" who ran Croft

Mar 20, 2026 → Mar 20, 2026