A married mother-of-two was shot dead by her lover while her children slept upstairs after attempting to end the relationship.

The body of Hayley Davenport, aged 23, was found by her daughters - aged just two and three - on the morning after her death, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

The Crown alleges Ms Davenport, who worked as a prostitute, was blasted once in the head by Jarvis Mayfield Johnson.

Johnson (32) of Bilston, denies murdering the young mother at her semi-detached home in Tansley View, All Saints, Wolverhampton, in May 2004.

Opening the case for the prosecution, Christopher Millington, QC, said Hayley, whose husband was in Jamaica, was gunned down at about midnight on Wednesday May 19.

The QC told the jury: "At 8.30am the next day, two sisters aged two and three were spotted by neighbours standing on the doorstep of their home with no sign of their mother, Hayley Davenport.

"After someone forced the front door, her body was discovered in the hallway, lying face down in a pool of blood. She had been shot in cold blood at close range."

The jury also heard that the youngsters, who were well cared for and described as "happy and contented," passed by their mother's body to get to the doorstep.

The prosecution claims that Johnson, known by the street name Diamond, had stored a gun at his alleged victim's house and that she was becoming increasingly concerned about her involvement with him.

A week before her death, Ms

Davenport is said to have told a friend that her relationship with " Diamond" was getting claustrophobic.

Evidence would also be presented later in Johnson's trial which would prove that 34 telephone calls were made between his mobile phone and Hayley's mobile and landline between 7.30pm and 11.38pm on Wednesday May 19. Mr Millington went on: "It's highly significant that within 30 minutes of the last call to Hayley she was shot dead.

"Almost his (Johnson's) first action on the Thursday was to get rid of his mobile phone.

"He took it to a shop in Wolverhampton and he put it in part exchange for a new phone. The shopkeeper saw him remove the SIM card and break it into bits."

The trial continues.