Brian Kearney was jailed for life this afternoon after he was found guilty of murdering his wife Siobhan in their south Dublin home in 2006.
Siobhan's sister Caroline (right) outside the Four Courts today
Mr Kearney, a 51-year-old electrical contractor, denied strangling his wife to death with the flex of a vacuum cleaner and staging the scene to look like a suicide.
However, a jury of eight women and four men reached the verdict by a majority of 11 to 1 today after deliberating for only five and a half hours.
Mr Kearney (51), with an address at Carnroe, Knocknashee, Goatstown, Dublin, had pleaded not guilty to murdering Siobhán (38), on February 28th, 2006 - his 49th birthday.
The mother-of-one's body was discovered by her father, Owen, who had to kick down the bedroom door, which had been locked.
Mr Justice Barry White had initially directed the jury to return a unanimous verdict but within half an hour of being given the option of a majority finding, the jury had found Kearney guilty.
The businessman showed no emotion as the decision was read out but his daughter, Aoife, who has been at his side throughout the trial, broke down and fell into his shoulder, crying.
Ms Kearney's family sobbed and hugged each other as the decision was read out.
The jury retired to consider their verdict in the case at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin at 3.27pm yesterday. They were called back to be given further direction from Mr Justice White and retired again after a break at 4.28pm.
In summarising the prosecution and defence cases, Mr Justice Barry White said the Director of Public Prosecutions, led by Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, contended that Mr Kearney had tried to make it look like his wife had committed suicide.
"They say the accused entered the bedroom.
"He attempted a manual strangulation and then the flex was used for the purpose of completing matters," Mr Justice White said.
"It is their contention that the key [to the bedroom] was slipped under the door [ which was locked] and the accused left the deceased in that state and went off to work."
He said the defence, led by Patrick Gageby SC, said there was no history of violence, no suggestion of an affair and no bitter custody battle between the couple, who were separating, and "there was nothing to suggest that any separation was going to be anything other than amicable", Mr Justice White added.
The defence said Mr Kearney was not under pressure financially and the prosecution could not "corral" the evidence to suit them.
DNA evidence taken from the flex had ruled out Mr Kearney and evidence from State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy had not ruled out the possibility that death had been caused by a low-level suspension hanging where Ms Kearney's full weight would not have been borne by the flex.
The judge said that the defence claimed the State had not made out a case that her death was not suicide and accordingly the jury should acquit.