A man and a woman were jailed for life on Saturday night after they were convicted of the murder of the woman's former partner in Dublin in May 2000.
Jacqui Noble (38), of Knowth Court, Ballymun, Dublin, and Mr Paul Hopkins (24), of Sillogue Road, Ballymun, had denied murdering Mr Derek Benson (33) at his flat at Sandy Hill Avenue, Ballymun, on May 13th, 2000.
After seven hours of deliberations at the Central Criminal Court, the jury of seven men and five women returned a unanimous verdict of guilty of murder. Mr Justice Abbott imposed the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.
Two woman jurors were in tears, and two male jurors visibly upset as the verdict was read out.
Noble also cried, while her relatives, neighbours and Mr Hopkins family sobbed at the back of the court.
During the 30-day trial, the jury heard evidence of extreme physical, sexual and emotional abuse by the deceased against Noble over a 14-year period.
However, after lengthy legal argument, the trial judge, Mr Justice Abbott, refused to allow the jury to consider the defence of provocation.
After the verdict, Ms Mary Ellen Ring, SC, for Noble, asked the trial judge to hear sworn evidence "on the background to this case" for the purpose of sending it to the Executive.
"Clearly there are matters I would be anxious that others would have available to them."
The judge agreed, and set the date for Thursday.
During the trial, Noble took the stand, and told the jury how her former partner used his fists, feet and objects to beat her.
She turned her face from the court as she outlined in graphic detail acts of depravity carried out by Mr Benson after he tied her to a chair or a bed.
The court also heard allegations of sexual abuse on her young daughter by Mr Benson, the child's father.
In 1993, the girl was assessed in St Claire's Unit, Temple Street, which deals with suspected child abuse victims. She was five or six when the alleged abuse took place.
The court heard gardaí were called in but the child withdrew the complaint, allegedly after Mr Benson "got at her".
The jury heard medical evidence that Noble had been treated in hospital for injuries consistent with beatings, including fractured ribs and extensive bruising.
In 1997 she secured a barring order against him, but he breached it.
Noble's sister, Ms Wendy Dalton, and neighbour also gave evidence of having witnessed severe assaults by Mr Benson on Noble.
In evidence, Garda Sinead Magee said Mr Benson attempted to knock her down the stairs of the Bridewell after she arrested him for breaching the barring order taken out by Noble.
Psychiatric and psychological evidence in Noble's defence was ruled inadmissible by the trial judge.
After lengthy legal argument, the judge also ruled out the defence of provocation.
The prosecution case was that Noble asked Hopkins to kill Mr Benson, and agreed a sum of between £3,000 and £5,000. Both accused rejected this.
In his evidence, Hopkins told the court that he had been bullied, threatened and assaulted by Mr Benson on a number of occasions over four years.
When Benson threatened his girlfriend, Ms Lisa Moorehouse, and their baby daughter that he would burn them after he "was finished with them", he took it as a threat that he intended to rape them.
The prosecution contended that Mr Benson's violence was not a justification for murder.
In releasing the jury, Mr Justice Abbott exempted them from further service for five years. He refused leave for a certificate to appeal on behalf of both accused.