A jealous ex who strangled his estranged wife to death because she refused to show him her text messages has been seized by police.

The chilling crime took place in Belford Roxo, Brazil, on 2nd January.

Gabriela Silva de Souza, 27, and her partner Fabio Araujo da Silva had separated in November after she discovered he had been cheating on her.

They were still living together with their two children, aged four and two, and had spent Christmas and New Year’s Eve together with Gabriela’s family.

But Da Silva had been given until January to move out of the family home and find a new place to live.

He promised Gabriela he would move out on 2nd January, but instead, he strangled her to death that morning.

Da Silva took the couple’s children to his mother’s home in nearby Rio de Janeiro and then turned himself in to police.

Local media quote the police report, saying: “Dissatisfied, motivated by jealousy, the perpetrator decided to take the life of his partner by asphyxiating her.”

Da Silva told police he had “lost his mind”.

Police said the argument that led to Gabriela’s death began because she had refused to show him messages on her mobile phone.

The victim’s relatives said the couple’s separation had seemed amicable.

But they also said Da Silva was possessive to the point where he constantly followed her and even hacked her social media accounts.

Gabriela was studying accounting at Rio de Janeiro State University.

It is not clear who will now take care of the couple’s children.