A woman has been found guilty of murdering her abusive husband after feeding him biscuits laced with sleeping pills, wrapping him in a blanket and stuffing him in a backyard freezer.
Rebecca Payne, 43, admitted to killing her 68-year-old husband, Noel Payne, by drugging him with Temazepam.
She crushed the pills and put them inside the icing of two homemade biscuits before hiding his body in a freezer at the back of their home.
However, she denied committing murder, claiming she only intended for him to fall asleep, not die.
Jurors at the Supreme Court in Mildura deliberated for less than 24 hours before returning with a guilty verdict.
Justice Rita Incerti discharged them and thanked them for their service.
Payne faces a pre-sentence hearing at a later date and remains in custody.
During the three-week trial, Payne claimed that she had been subjected to years of physical and verbal abuse from her husband.
She said he would hit her in the face and head, punch her in the mouth and back, and even pull her hair if she tried to walk away.
She also claimed that he had caused her to develop an eating disorder by calling her names such as “nothing but a pig” when she ate.
The couple had separated twice, and during the second split, Mr Payne had moved a younger woman into their family home and pursued a sexual relationship with both of them.
Prosecutor David Glynn argued that Payne “wanted to be free” of her husband and that he was violent and controlling with her and another woman for many years.
After she killed him, Payne, two of her sons, and the younger woman drove to Mildura for a shopping spree with his credit card.
They purchased pets, including a fish, bird, and lizard, before moving the freezer containing his body to a neighbor’s house when police inquired about his whereabouts.
The neighbor’s son discovered the body and called the police.
Although Payne admitted to killing her husband, she claimed that she did not intend to murder him.
She told the court that she only wanted him to have a long sleep so that she could get a break from the abuse. The jury ultimately rejected her argument and found her guilty of murder.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or Lifeline (13 11 14) for support.
»Rebecca Payne is found guilty of murdering her abusive husband«
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