PORTADOWN MAN JAILED FOR LIFE IN WIFE’S MURDER
A man from Portadown has been sentenced to a minimum of 10 years in prison after being found guilty of murdering his wife.Christopher Harper, aged 45 and residing in Abercorn Park, admitted to killing Suzanne Harper in August 2010 but denied it was murder.
The court heard that Suzanne died from a single stab wound to the neck.
On the day of her death, she told her husband she was leaving him.
Judge Kevin Finnegan described Harper's actions as "a selfish and evil act" but acknowledged his "genuine and profound remorse".
The judge emphasized that the conviction should serve as a warning that no spouse should face such violence for simply ending a relationship.
The couple, who married in February 1987, had three children.
Harper's defense argued that he was a broken man overwhelmed by guilt over his wife’s extramarital affairs, but the jury believed the prosecution that Harper intended to kill his wife.
After the murder, Harper entered Lurgan police station, sobbing, and confided, "I've done something bad." The judge had indicated that the only sentence available was life imprisonment but was considering a minimum tariff based on pre-sentence reports.
