'Mad' tennis dad jailed

Thursday, 09, Mar 2006 09:10

A dad who drugged his children's tennis opponents has been jailed for eight years after one of his victims died.

Christophe Fauviau was convicted of manslaughter when Alexandre Lagardere, 25, crashed his car after six tablets were slipped into his drink during a match.

Lagardere was playing Fauviau's son in a local tennis tournament in South West France in 2003. They were competing for a leg of ham.

The retired army officer admitted drugging at least 27 players in his bizarre attempt to help his children's tennis careers, the youngest known victim was just 11 years old.

The father claimed that he had not intended to kill the man but the French police found the toxin Temesta in the dead man's blood stream and then discovered Fauviau's plot.

He explained that his desire to help his children had got out of control and that he would do anything to help them win their matches.

Fauviau's daughter Valentine is 13 years old and is in the French top ten for her age group.

She told Le Parisien newspaper: "My father never wanted to do anyone any harm.

"Alexandre's death really destroyed him. There are many parents who push their children and go a little mad because of tennis."