A SEATON woman has spoken of her heartbreak after her husband of six months was jailed for 10 years.

A SEATON woman has spoken of her heartbreak after her husband of six months was jailed for 10 years.

But Carol Keeling, 44, of Harbour Road, has vowed to stand by burglar Moses Keeling, saying she plans to stick by her wedding vows.

Despite Moses' conviction, Carol believes he is innocent and says he promised her before they married that he had gone straight.

She said: "I knew he would be going to jail when he pleaded guilty, but the sentence came as a shock. I thought maybe he'd get six to eight years, but not 10.

"I nearly fell off my chair and was in tears. It's a great start to married life - but I made a vow 'for better or worse'.

"He's never going to get the chance to go straight now. I'm upset, annoyed, angry - you name it. I'm used to putting on a front. I'll stand by him, because I know he didn't do it."

The couple, who met two years ago but got together last year, married on Friday 13, in February. Carol says the date has not jinxed their relationship. But she says people are not sympathetic with her situation.

She said: "A lot of people will say 'you knew what he was like when you married him'. But he never hid anything from me. He made a vow to me that he wouldn't commit crime again. You can't help who you love.

"People have been awful. Anybody would think it's me doing it. I can understand it a little bit, but not with people who have known me a long time.

"There has been finger pointing and whispering, but nobody has said anything to me."

The self-confessed alcoholic, who is currently unemployed, said she does not know where Moses will be based but will travel twice monthly to visit him. She suffers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and does not know how she will cope with a husband in prison.

She said: "It's the first time I've been with someone who is in prison. I just don't know how I'll deal with it."

She is also worried for Moses, who she claims pleaded guilty instead of facing a tougher sentence.

"He doesn't know if he can survive it," she said. "He's struggled to last 10 weeks being in prison. I just hope he doesn't do anything stupid.