WHITNEY HOUSTON - HOUSTON GRANTED CUSTODY OF DAUGHTER

HOUSTON GRANTED CUSTODY OF DAUGHTER

Whitney Houston has been granted custody of her teenage daughter as her marriage to the singer Bobby Brown comes to an end.

She will look after 14-year-old Bobbi Kristina when her divorce becomes final on April 24th, superior court judge Franz E Miller ruled at Lamoreaux Justice Centre in California.

Brown's lawyer said he will appeal the decision.

A tearful Houston told the court that her estranged husband is "unreliable".

The 43-year-old singer filed for divorce last October citing irreconcilable differences following a 15-year marriage marred by jail and drug dramas.

Grammy award-winning Brown, who begun his music career in the group New Edition, spent time in jail in February this year for failing to pay child support maintenance for two of his children from a previous relationship.

He has also had run-ins with the law due to drug problems and accusations of domestic violence.

Houston, who rose to fame with the hits How Will I Know, I Wanna Dance With Somebody and I Will Always Love You and a starring role in The Bodyguard, has also undergone treatment in rehabilitation centres for alleged drugs problems.