A fundraiser helping a grieving father to fight losing his home in a bitter divorce battle with his killer wife has now passed half its target.

Steven Ford, the father of one-year-old twins Chloe and Jake who were drowned by their mother Samantha Ford at her home in Margate on Boxing Day 2018, says he cannot afford the legal fees after more complex divorce proceedings were triggered by his wife.

As KentOnline revealed last week, an email sent to Mr Ford from the NHS facility where his wife is being held told him she wishes to explore selling the family home in Charing, near Ashford.

Mr Ford says while he wishes to proceed with the divorce, the demands to sell the house will make legal discussions more complicated, costly and end up being taken to court.

He estimates his legal fees could cost in the region of £30,000.

His mother set up a fundraising page calling for help from well-wishers to support her son's fight to save his home.

It started with a £5,000 target but within just two days the total has already reached £2,800.

Ford was sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing the couple's two 23-month-old children.

But she is being held at the Trevor Gibbons mental facility in Maidstone until she is deemed mentally fit to go to be transferred to jail.

Mr Ford says he's desperately trying to stop his wife taking the house.

"It's frightening to think I could lose my home after everything I've had to deal with," Mr Ford told KentOnline last week.

"I worked very hard to build a life for me and my family and my home is all that's left.

"To lose that too would finish me."

He has thanked people for their support but admits he's been left uncertain about accepting financial help.

Mr Ford says he's never had to have financial help before but feels he has no other choice left if he doesn't want to lose the house where he created cherished memories of his young children.

During a hearing at the Old Bailey last year, the court was told Ford had searched on Google terms about how to carry out drowning.

She admitted manslaughter by diminished responsibility as the court heard her actions were a twisted act of vengeance against her estranged husband.

Find the fundraising page here.

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