Stewart Keith McLeod was given a commuted life term by the South Bangkok Criminal Court yesterday for beating his wife Barbara to death with a hammer in December 2005.

McLeod, 45, had pleaded guilty late last month to three charges relating to his wife's death.

The Australian, dressed in plain brown prison attire and with heavy chains around his ankles, received a life term - 50 years - plus additional years for attempting to conceal his wife's body and denying the offence when first questioned by the police.

But his subsequent confession and cooperation with prosecutors, by accepting the charges, saw his sentence halved - to 34 years and one month.

McLeod is from the New South Wales mid-north coast but lived in Hong Kong then Bangkok for nearly a decade. He has at least a month to appeal. His lawyer said yesterday no decision had been made yet on whether to contest the severity of the term.

McLeod was arrested on December 23 last year after the body of his 61-year-old wife was discovered in a lane near their apartment in Thong Lo.

The McLeods had known each other for 13 years and had been married for the last nine. Both worked in Asia's booming information technology (IT) industry. They had met in Hong Kong before shifting to Thailand about five years ago.

McLeod initially lodged a missing persons report with the police at Thong Lo. But they were suspicious of his story - a search of the couple's home shortly after found bloodstains on the bedroom floor and stairs.

After hours of interrogation, the Australian confessed to having argued with his wife in the early hours of the morning and bludgeoned her to death with a hammer.

The couple had been due to depart for Canada later that day for the Christmas holidays but had had a huge argument over several domestic matters.

McLeod's 32-year-old stepdaughter, Tasha Singleton, reportedly told the court through a translator she had been with the couple two days before the murder, when she flew to Canada.

Her mother and stepfather Stewart had been expected to follow her to Toronto for a Christmas break. But she had to fly back to Thailand in early January after being told of the tragedy.

Singleton told the court she confronted McLeod over the incident at Bangkok's remand prison. "He said they were having an argument and that she wasn't understanding and he snapped and he pushed her and he hit her," she reportedly said.

McLeod had taken good care of her mother and been generous, but she felt he should do a period in jail for his crime, she told the court.

In interviews with the press, McLeod expressed remorse but said his actions were not pre-meditated. He had simply panicked after killing his wife and initially tried to cover it up.

Thong Lo police said McLeod had recounted a heated argument in detail and admitted to killing his wife in a 10-minute attack.

"If I could only take it back. But I can't. I'll be doing time, whatever it is, and I'll just have to live with it afterwards. In one night I managed to lose the lady ... the light of my life. My life is over. I've hurt everybody I know," he reportedly said.

Jim Pollard

The Nation