A Wellington High Court jury took just over four hours today to find a Wellington hospital orderly guilty of murdering his wife.
Ronald James Fennell, 58, pleaded not guilty to murdering 62-year-old Shirley Anne Keith at their suburban Kilbirnie home on January 10 last year.
Fennell admitted shootinghis wife at point blank range three times after drinking in a bar, following a trip to a bank to sort out a credit card problem.
Justice Denis Clifford told the jury of seven men and five women they could find him either guilty of murder or manslaughter when they retired to consider their verdict.
They returned just before 3.30pm to find Fennell, who stood quietly in the dock, guilty of murder.
The recovering alcoholic, told police he had promised Ms Keith he would not drink, but on the day she died he had eight or nine beers and a nip of spirits before arriving home late.
He had also smoked cannabis.
Fennell's lawyer Chris Tennet argued that Fennell never had any "murderous intent" but was a confused and intoxicated man who could not recall specific details about the night.
Crown prosecutor Tom Gilbert said Ms Keith could have survived the first gun shot wound, but Fennell followed his bleeding wife, held the shotgun to the back of her head and fired again.
He reloaded and then fired into her chest.
Fennell told police he had heard her gasping after the first shot so fired twice more to put her out of her misery.
He had earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of a firearm.
Justice Clifford remanded him in custody for sentencing at the High Court on the murder and the gun charges on June 13.
