Klaus Dieter Neubert jailed for 25 years for the shooting murder of his wife Olga Neubert

FORMER Lymington man Klaus Dieter Neubert will remain in prison until at least 2031 for the public execution-style murder of his estranged wife Olga Neubert on a New Town street two years ago.

Klaus Dieter Neubert will spend at least 15 years behind bars for the murder of his wife Olga Neubert.

FORMER Lymington man Klaus Dieter Neubert will remain in prison until at least 2031 for the public execution-style murder of his estranged wife Olga Neubert on a New Town street two years ago.

Describing 75-year-old Neubert’s crimes as “selfish and brutal”, Justice Michael Brett sentenced the prisoner to 25 years for murder — with a minimum of 15 years — and ordered he also serve at least half of a three-year term for causing grievous bodily harm to Mrs Neubert’s friend, Josephine Cooper.

Outlining events leading up to the crimes, Justice Brett found that although Neubert had crossed paths with his wife in Moonah in the moments immediately before the shootings, the defendant had been searching for Mrs Neubert for some time.

After tailing his wife’s car into New Town and along Risdon Rd, Neubert cut her off in traffic by positioning his vehicle in front of hers, the court heard. Justice Brett said Neubert then calmly retrieved a shortened and fully loaded firearm from the back of his vehicle before firing at least three shots into his wife’s car.

At least one of these shots struck Mrs Neubert’s shoulder, with the bullet deflecting to cause a non-fatal wound to her brain.

Justice Brett found that Neubert then placed the muzzle of the weapon against his wife’s head and pulled the trigger.

“It is obvious you placed the gun against her head to make sure the shot killed her,” Justice Brett told Neubert.

Justice Brett found Neubert had not intentionally inflicted injury on Mrs Cooper, but he had been aware there was another person in his wife’s vehicle.

Justice Brett said Neubert’s actions were motivated by his inability to accept the end of his marriage and that he had regarded his wife as his possession.

The court heard the final moments of Mrs Neubert’s life would have been “traumatic and terrifying” and Mrs Cooper’s victim impact statement revealed a number of consequential impacts.

“These were selfish, brutal and callous crimes committed by you because you had no other way of exerting control over your wife. It was family violence of the most serious kind.

“In my judgment, you regarded your wife as your possession and you exercised extreme violence to ensure that you ended her life, rather than permit her to exercise her right to live as she chose.”

The judge ordered the sentences be served cumulatively and backdated the term to May 14, 2015.

Neubert will be eligible for parole in November 2031, when he will be aged 90.

On Friday, Neubert will learn the result of a civil suit brought against him by Mrs Cooper.