A WOMAN was today found guilty of murdering her husband after shooting him at close range.

Sixty-two-year-old Helen Lawson shot Geoffery Lawson at his home in Wellow on the Isle of Wight on the morning of 4 January 2009. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Speaking after the case, Matthew Lawson, Crown Advocate for CPS Hampshire & Isle of Wight said: "This is a tragic case and one where there can be no real winners. The terrible events of last January have torn a family apart and we would like to extend our sincere condolences to them.

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"Much of the trial has focused on Helen Lawson's relationship with her husband and whether the depression she was suffering from amounted to a defence of diminished responsibility.

"We charged this case as murder because we believed, on the basis of the evidence, that Helen Lawson intended to kill her husband and was fully aware of the consequences. We are pleased that the jury has supported that charge with its verdict today."

Helen Lawson denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. She will be sentenced this afternoon at Winchester Crown Court.