Trintignant's Family Appeals Homicide Sentence

The relatives of late actress Marie Trintignant will appeal against the eight year prison sentence handed to her rocker boyfriend Bertrand Cantat for her murder.

Mother-of-four Trintignant, a member of one of France's most famous acting families, died last August (03) from head injuries sustained during a fight with Cantat in a hotel room in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.

Cantat, the lead singer of popular French rock band NOIR DESIR, was convicted of homicide by a Lithuanian court last month (MAR04) - but Trintignant's family are unhappy with what they regard as a lenient sentence.

The family's lawyer KAZIMIERAS MOTIEKA says the actress' mother NADINE wants the sentence raised to 10 years.

He adds, "We do not see any of the mitigating circumstances the court took into account when deciding the sentence."

Cantat, 40, who had faced a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, told the court he slapped his lover during a heated quarrel in their hotel room, causing her to fall and hit her head on a radiator. He said he had not intended to kill her.

Trintignant, who died after five days in a coma, is the daughter of actor Jean-Louis Trintignant and had graced French movie screens since childhood.