Man jailed for killing wife of 50 years

      Peter Caruso has been sentenced.(AAP)

An elderly retired fruiterer who brutally murdered his wife of 50 years has been jailed for 18 years.

Peter Caruso, 77, is likely to die in prison for the axe murder of his wife Rosa at their Melbourne home in 2008.

Caruso claimed during his Victorian Supreme Court trial that his wife was murdered by a burglar while he was at the shops.
But a jury took less than four hours to find him guilty of murdering Mrs Caruso, who was hit hard by a hatchet or similar item 36 times.
The prosecution alleged Caruso messed up the house to look like it had been robbed in a poor attempt to cover up his crime.
The jury had heard a blood-stained hatchet and clothing matched to Mrs Caruso's DNA were found in her husband's garage.
Justice Betty King said there was no known motive for his attack, but she said the killing was particularly gruesome.
"The murder of your wife was brutal and horrific," she said.
Justice King jailed him for a minimum of 13 years, saying that while some people would believe the sentence was merciful, it was highly likely he might die in jail.                                               Source: ninemsn, AU