A man who struck his partner 16 times in a "cowardly and brutal" hammer murder has been jailed for life.
John Garner, 51, will have to spend a minimum of 22 years in prison after being found guilty of murdering partner Teresa Garner, 46, at their home on Llys Dewi in Penyffordd near Holywell in Flintshire on October 24 last year.
He was found guilty of the mum-of-three's murder last week following a trial in which he admitted to killing her but denied murder.
Garner, who cried in the dock as he was sentenced, was told by Judge Rhys Rowlands that the attack was "in any view a cowardly, brutal and sustained assault on a defenceless woman".
The judge added: "You clearly are a dangerous individual who has shown precious little remorse for the dreadful violence committed against Teresa Garner."
The killer wore a grey suit, white shirt and black tie as he sat in the dock flanked by two security guards and was sentenced.
The court heard he has four previous convictions for 12 offences, including being sentenced to four months for criminal damage and assault actioning actual bodily harm of a previous partner in 2004.
He broke her nose with a brass candlestick.
Defending Garner, Patrick Harrington QC said there will be a “significant uplift” on sentence because of aggravating features.
He said Garner would "respect" any sentence given by the court.
Mr Harrington added that Garner had written a letter to the court but he would not be submitting it because it was "egocentric", concentrating on his loss and not acknowledging “he was the author of it”.
Garner had drunk five times the legal drink drive limit of alcohol and told a custody nurse after his arrest: “You know that saying if you could turn the clock back 24 hours - I wouldn’t.”
Garner had claimed he was fixing floorboards with the hammer used in the attack, but an investigator noted there was nothing wrong with the floorboards, Judge Rowlands said.
Detailing the impact on the wider family, Judge Rowlands said: "Not a day goes by without them [Teresa's children] missing and thinking about their mother. The family has been split.
"No one could fail to be moved by their loss.
"I am satisfied it [the hammer] was carried from the shed a number of yards.
"I am not satisfied there was a serious degree of planning."
During the trial, the jury had heard that Garner killed his partner and then rang 999, telling the operator he had "murdered his missus".
The prosecution said the "countdown" to her death began after Garner heard she was in contact with a man she was with 17 years ago and had a daughter with.
Prosecuting barrister John Philpotts said it was a "sustained and ferocious attack" which began on the landing of the house but ended in the bathroom.
Teresa Garner had 16 separate head wounds and was discovered when officers arrived at the house to find the defendant drunk.
Garner told the court he had no recollection of killing his partner or dialing 999.
The defendant said "he idolised her" and denied being jealous that his step-daughter's biological father had resumed contact with the deceased and had visited the house.
Defending barrister Patrick Harrington QC said that the reappearance of the former lover had turned Ms Garner's head.
His client was banished to sleep in the camper van parked on the drive and must have snapped, said Mr Harrington.
