Gerard Baden-Clay has been sentenced to life behind bars for murdering his wife and mother of his three daughters, Allison Baden-Clay.
After 17 days of hearing evidence from 72 witnesses, a jury found the former Brisbane real estate agent guilty beyond reasonable doubt of Allison’s murder.
The jury of seven men and five women, who began deliberating last Thursday, found the 43-year-old guilty just after 11.45pm this morning.
Shortly after the verdict was read, Justice John Byrne sentenced Baden-Clay to imprisonment for life.
“Mr Baden-Clay you murdered your wife. The murder was not premeditated, but it was violent,” Justice Byrne said.
“You are sentenced to imprisonment for life.”
Throughout the long and emotional trial, the court heard that Baden-Clay was a “serial cheat” and his fear of being exposed drove him to violently murder his wife of 14 years in April 2012.
Allison’s body was found on the banks of Kholo Creek at Anstead in Brisbane’s west 10 days after her husband reported her missing from their home in nearby Brookfield.
While the defence proclaimed that Allison, 43, died from misadventure or accident, the prosecution vehemently dismissed that notion, asserting that Baden-Clay killed the mother of his three children at home and dumped her body.
Allison’s tearful parents Priscilla and Geoff Dickie, and friends were in court to hear the verdict.
Meanwhile, a sea of people donning scarves and ribbons in Allison’s favourite colour, yellow, showed their support outside.
During an emotional victim impact statement, Allison’s mother Priscilla said Gerard had ‘betrayed’ her daughter and ‘made a mockery of their marriage and their life together.’
“He promised to take care of her and treat her well…. and he did the opposite,” she said.
She also spoke of Allison’s three young daughters.
“They miss her terribly and cry to her at night. To have mummy put them to bed one night and to wake up the next morning and be told that she is missing.
“They have been condemned to a life sentence without love and companionship only a mother can give.”
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