Abused wife avoids penalty for husband's death
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A central Victorian woman has been acquitted of murdering her abusive husband in September 2004.
The Supreme Court heard 39-year-old Claire Margaret MacDonald lay in wait in what the prosecution described as a "sniper's nest".
She shot her husband, Warren John MacDonald, six times and then screamed at him, "Why did you make me do this?"
The defence said she endured endless physical, emotional and sexual abuse in her 17-year marriage.
It said she was sick of his abuse, his strict discipline of the children and his threat he would kill her if she ever left him.
The prosecution argued an unhappy marriage did not give Mrs MacDonald the right to play judge, jury and executioner in deciding her husband did not deserve to live.
When the jury delivered its verdict of not guilty on counts of both murder and manslaughter, she broke down in the dock.
She then was greeted with hugs from her cheering family.
Outside court, Mrs MacDonald said she just wanted to go home.
