A woman who urged her partner to murder her former lover after a chance meeting on a crowded commuter train was jailed for life yesterday.

Claire Park, 27, egged Sean Clarke, 26, on like a "banshee" until he plunged a kitchen knife she had given him into David Moorhouse's chest.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how as the 37-year-old lay dying on the platform after the trouble spilled out onto Pelaw Metro Station, the couple told him: "I hope you die".

Both denied murder but were found guilty by a jury yesterday.

Mr Justice Moses jailed them both for life and said neither can be considered for parole for at least 14 years.

The court heard how Park and Clarke, who both have previous convictions, had an "ardent dislike" for Mr Moorhouse.

Park had been involved in an affair with Mr Moorhouse, who had a conviction for indecently assaulting an underage girl, but later went back to Clarke, the court heard.

Prosecutor Andrew Robertson QC told the court how during Park's relationship with Mr Moorhouse she got pregnant and had a baby who was taken into care shortly after the birth.

Mr Robertson said Park blamed Mr Moorhouse and his past for the fact her baby was taken away.

Mr Justice Moses told the couple during sentence: "You allowed the hatred that I am quite satisfied you both felt for him to express itself in the attack you made upon an the unarmed man."

The judge said Mr Moorhouse was "wholly defenceless" when set upon by the pair. And he added: "Egged on and encouraged as i am satisfied you were Clarke by Park, you then stabbed him.

"In my judgement you both share equal responsibility. You particularly Park because you handed Clarke the knife when you must have realised how he was going to use it."

The court heard how the couple bumped into Mr Moorhouse and his friend Michael Jackson when they all got on a metro train at Newcastle's central station on April 29 in the late afternoon.

Mr Robertson said: "Just by chance, a very unfortunate chance it turned out, both of these defendants got onto the same train, in fact they got onto the same carriage.

"It does appear to have been sheer chance."

The court heard how when the train pulled away Park hurled abuse at her former lover before Clarke became involved and started stabbing out at him with a penknife.

When Mr Moorhouse and his friend got off the train at Pelaw, Gateshead,

catch a connecting train to take them to East Boldon, South Tyneside, Clarke and Park followed and by this time were both brandishing kitchen knives produced from Park's bag.

The court heard how as Mr Moorhouse, who lived in Cruddas Park, Newcastle, tried to fend off Clarke as he tried to stab him, Park was "goading" him on, saying; "Go on, stab him."

Mr Moorhouse died from a stab wound to the chest and was found to have six further wounds to his body, right arm and right leg.

Clarke and Park, both of Zetland Street, Darlington, Co Durham, fled to her mother's house in Wardley, Gateshead, where they disposed of the murder weapon and the knife she was carrying in a neghbour's garden.

They then got a taxi to Park's father's house in Hebburn, South Tyneside, to borrow money before heading back to Heworth bus station where they were arrested.

Mr Robertson told jurors: "Sean Clarke stabbed a man called David Moorhouse to death on the platform of Pelaw metro station in front of a crowd of eye witnesses.

"The Crown submit to you that this was a clear case of murder and in carrying out this murder Clarke was amply assisted by his girlfriend Claire Park.

"She encouraged him, she urged him on and say we the crown, she even provided him with the murder weapon."

After the guilty verdicts, Mr Robertson told the court how Clarke has served prison sentences in the past for burglary, robbery and drugs.

And Park was jailed for three months in 1999 for an offence of wounding.

Defence barrister Aidan Marron QC, for CLarke, said the couple had not expected to see Mr Moorhouse on the train that day and the attack was unplanned.

And Mr Marron added: "This knife which caused the death was handed to this man. There is no suggestion he actually asked for it and it was at a moment when tempers were high indeed."