A 56-year-old man was sentenced to 18 years behind bars for killing his wife with a hoe last summer. He had previously served time in prison for domestic violence, IPN reports.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the woman’s son notified the police on June 1, 2023. Returning from work, he found his 57-year-old mother lying in the garden with multiple head injuries.

It was established that the victim’s husband, being intoxicated, hit the woman at least 10 times with the edge of a hoe in the head as a result of a conflict with her. Seeing that his wife showed no signs of life, he hid the corpse in the grass.

The man returned from prison in October 2022, after having served his sentence for domestic violence.

The Cimislia Court found the defendant guilty of murder of a family member committed with particular cruelty. He will now serve 18 years in a closed prison.

The sentence can be appealed to the Comrat Court of Appeals.