Mother's 'pain at comforting killer'

THE mother of a woman who was shot by her husband has told a Sydney court of her pain at having to comfort her daughter's killer as he feigned grief.

THE mother of a woman who was shot by her husband has told a Sydney court of her pain at having to comfort her daughter's killer as he feigned grief.

Jody Galante, 26, was shot dead by her husband Mark in January 2006, on a remote bush track west of Sydney.

Mr Galante initially told police his wife was missing and made an emotional public plea for help following her disappearance.

He sought comfort from her family, telling them how much he missed his "princess" despite having shot her in the back of the head.

Mr Galante maintained his innocence until he was charged by police three months after her death.
He pleaded guilty last month to her murder, and appeared in the NSW Supreme Court today for a sentencing hearing.

Ms Galante's mother, Julie Anne Hand, wept as she delivered her victim impact statement to the court, telling of her pain at having to watch Mr Galante's "crocodile tears" at her daughter's funeral, all the while suspecting he was her killer.

"I promised Jody that I would not stop, or sleep, or rest until this was done," she said of her quest to see her daughter's killer jailed.

"It (Jody's funeral) was all captured on film and beamed out to the world.

"But what they missed ... was that when I spoke that promise to Jody in the chapel I was looking right at him."

Ms Hand told the court Galante had been cruel and callous, refusing to pay for a headstone for his wife, so that she could not be found in the cemetery.

Ms Wilkins said Galante had stood to gain almost $600,000 in life insurance after his wife's death, and had made a claim for victim's compensation, which was dismissed following the laying of murder charges against him.

The sentencing hearing continues.

- with AAP