Melbourne man jailed for 26 years for murdering estranged wife

A man who murdered his estranged wife amid a bitter legal dispute has been jailed for at least two decades.

Emil “Bill” Petrov, 61, looked straight ahead as Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale handed down the maximum 26-year sentence this morning.

Petrov will be eligible for parole after 20 years.

He maintains he did not kill Cindy Crossthwaite, 41, at her Melton South home in June 2007 but a jury in December found him guilty of her murder.

The mother-of-three’s body was found by her father under a blanket in the lounge room, with blood splatters across the windows.

She had been choked and shot in the head from about 15cm away, the jury was told.

Petrov and Crossthwaite separated in 2005 after being married for nearly a decade, and were facing Family Court hearings in the month before her death to divide up their assets.

The court case was adjourned to July of that year and prosecutors argued Petrov was aware his financial interests would be adversely affected when the proceedings resumed.

It was alleged the legal battle was a significant part of Petrov’s motive for murder, but he denied causing Crossthwaite’s death.

Crossthwaite’s family and friends gasped out “Yes” and hugged as the sentence was handed down.