A MURDERER jailed for stabbing a couple to death in Cardiff city centre will not have his "lenient" sentence reviewed by the Court of Appeal.

Andrew Saunders, aged 21, of Castleton was jailed for a minimum of 23 years for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Zoe Morgan, 21, and her new partner Lee Simmons, 33, in Cardiff.

The couple were stabbed to death near the Matalan branch where they had worked on Queen Street in the early hours of September 28, 2016.

Following the sentence, the  Attorney General (AG) was asked by the victims' family to review the sentence.

Anyone can request a case to be reviewed and if the outcome is found to be unduly lenient, then it can be referred to the Court of Appeal.

Earlier this month an AG spokeswoman said a "sentence can only be regarded as unduly lenient if there has been a gross error".

This includes the sentence being "significantly below the level that any judge could have reasonably imposed" after considering case facts.

Today, the AG's office announced it would not review Saunders sentence.

"This was a harrowing case," a spokeswoman said.

"Solicitor General Robert Buckland expresses his deepest sympathies to the families of Zoe Morgan and Lee Simmons.

"However, after very careful consideration, the solicitor general has decided not to refer the life sentence passed on Andrew Saunders to the Court of Appeal.

"He concluded that the minimum term of 23 years and four months' imprisonment, to be served by the offender in full before he will be considered for release, would not be increased by the court."