A 51-year old Sri Lankan has been sentenced to 17 years of imprisonment for bashing his wife to death with a hammer in Australia.

The court heard that the marriage of the Sri Lankan couple had been beset by difficulties, since they moved to Australia in 2005.

Thecouple often had bouts of domestic violence which culminated in his wife having an affair with a work colleague in 2010.

The affair prompted Silva to hire a private detective to monitor her phone calls and spy on her.

Although she gave up her lover, she was forced by her husband to give up her work, but his jealousy did not subside.

At the trial heard last month it was revealed that Silva had bought a heavy hammer the day before the murder, which he claimed was for building a pot plant stand. 

Silva wept as Western Australian Supreme Court Justice Lindy Jenkins said he had been a jealous and controlling husband while he had been a devoted father

Silva was lucky, despite his admission of murder, to still have the love and support of his two daughters who had written to the court to support their father.