'Weak little b******' husband jailed for strangling wife

A Melbourne man who strangled his controlling de facto wife in a fit of rage has been jailed for 14 years.

Anthony Sherna strangled Susanne Wild - his partner of 18 years - with a dressing gown cord in February 2008 after she woke their pet dog Hubble with her shouting.

He then buried her in their backyard in Tarneit, in south-west Melbourne, after enduring years of emotional abuse at her hands.

Forensic psychologist Jeffrey Cummins testified that Sherna suffered from depression and a chronic mood disorder. He compensated by becoming a workaholic and alcoholic, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Cummins also said Sherna showed signs of "battered woman syndrome".

Sherna, now 41, first met Wild when he was 23 and she 35.

Early in their relationship Wild resumed an affair with a former boyfriend, and called Sherna "a weak little bastard" for tolerating her infidelity.

She also made him change his surname, banned him from seeing friends or family, forbade him from sleeping in their bed or using the toilet at home and controlled all his money - despite the fact that Sherna was the sole breadwinner.

Today, Victorian Supreme Court Justice David Beach jailed him for 14 years with a minimum of 10.

"Even though she was controlling and domineering, and even if his account of their relationship was true, it did not justify him killing her," Justice Beach said.

Sherna had pleaded not guilty to murder, and a jury found him guilty on the lesser charge of manslaughter three weeks ago.

Source: The New Zealand Herald