Renato Gehlen has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his wife, Anne Colomines, who was described today in court as a "beautiful, intelligent woman" who loved life and was looking forward to the future.
Mr Justice Michael McGrath sentenced Gehlen to the mandatory life term after hearing statements written by the deceased's mother, Danielle Gallard, sister Alexandra, father Jean Louis and other family members.
Ms Colomines' mother, Danielle, who was not able to travel in person from France, wrote that her life has lost meaning since her daughter's death. She added: "Anne was my friend, my love, a beautiful, intelligent woman."
Colomines family
The judge offered his condolences to the Colomines family, whose grief he said was made "all the more harrowing" by Gehlen's attempt to say that Ms Colomines killed herself.
Gehlen (39), a Brazilian national, was convicted by unanimous jury verdict of murdering Ms Colomines (37) at the home they shared in Dorset Square, Gardiner Street Upper, Dublin 1 on October 25th, 2017.
His trial heard that Ms Colomines had started seeing another man and told her husband she wanted a divorce.
He claimed that she stabbed herself four times, including a fatal injury that penetrated her heart and a 20cm long knife wound to her neck.
State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan told the trial it was "highly unlikely" that Ms Colomines stabbed herself. She also pointed out that there were defensive type injuries to her hands which are often seen when a person tries to block a knife attack.
