, saying he's an innocent man.

In a statement read outside the court, Ms Melendez's mother said: "Never in my worst nightmares did I think my daughter, Natasha, would become a victim of such a heinous crime."Ms De Los Angeles Mejias described her as a "vibrant woman, full of life, cheerful and talkative".

"The word that best defines her is fearless," she added.She said her daughter had endured "continued abuse" before her death and the past five years "have been a long and gruelling wait for justice"."My parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and Natasha's children all feel the unbearable void she left behind," she added.

Addressing the media, Det Ch Insp Kerrie Foreman said a post mortem examination had confirmed that Natasha died from trauma to her head and neck."This was a vicious attack by the defendant," she said.

"It took the life of a young woman, leaving four young children without their mother.

"I am keen to encourage any victim of abuse, whatever your circumstances, to please come forward.Nationals from a further seven countries - Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela - will face partial travel restrictions.

The US president saidcould be revised if "material improvements" were made, while other countries could be added as "threats emerge around the world".

It is the second time Trump has ordered a ban on travel from certain countries. He signed a similar order in 2017 during his first term in office.The White House said these "common sense restrictions" would "protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors".