A Friern Barnet man who hired hitmen to stab his wife to death so he could start a new life has been jailed for 20 years.

Fadi Nasri, 34, of Alderman Court, Constable Close, wanted his 29-year-old wife Nisha Patel-Nasri dead so he could cash in on a £350,000 life insurance policy to clear mounting debts and continue an affair he was having with a Lithuanian prostitute.

He hired heroin dealer Rodger Leslie, 38, of Chesterfield Flats, Bells Hill, Barnet, and 36-year-old doorman Jason Jones, of Manor Park in East London, to carry out the killing in May 2006.

Mrs Patel-Nasri, who ran her own hairdressing business and was a part-time special police constable, was stabbed in the groin by Jones, 36, who had used Nasri's keys to get into the house in Wembley along with Leslie.

She bled to death on her driveway from the single stab wound while Nasri played snooker in a game he had arranged to give him an alibi.

In May all three men were convicted of murder at the Old Bailey, where yesterday they were jailed for life. Nasri and Jones were both told they would serve a minimum of 20 years, while Leslie will serve a minimum of 18.

To outsiders, Nasri and his wife appeared to have the perfect relationship, the court heard during the trial.

But in fact, their debts had driven them apart and Nasri had begun an affair with prostitute Laura Mockiene in January 2006, five months before he had his wife killed.

When he was arrested nine months after the murder, police found pictures on Nasri's mobile phone of him with Miss Mockiene on their holidays around the world.

Mrs Patel-Nasri's brother, Katen Patel, expressed his relief that the "nightmare" had ended and the three men had been jailed.

"Nisha was 29 years old with her whole life ahead of her, but after making the wrong choice and falling in love with a greedy, evil man, her life has been brutally taken away.

"It's a huge relief that this nightmare is finally over and the men responsible will remain in prison for a very long time.

"However, no amount of years given will replace Nisha and this outcome will never compare with the suffering of our loss."

DCI Nick Scola, who led the investigation, said: "We are extremely pleased with the sentences. These three dangerous and callous men are going to be in prison for a very long time.

"They have proven themselves to be extremely dangerous men, who have no regard for human life.

"Not only were they willing to murder a defenceless woman in her own home, but they also lied about each other's involvement to try to save themselves from prison.

"I am satisfied that the public are safer now these men are locked away."