Mullingar man gets life for wife"s murder

The Mullingar man David Bourke, convicted at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin by a majority verdict, of the murder of his wife, has been sentenced to life imprisonment.Mr. Bourke, who admitted stabbing his wife, but who denied he had planned to do so, was, reportedly, shocked at the verdict.According to reports, Mr. Bourke had argued that his actions were done under provocation, due to the stress caused to him by his wife having an affair.The fatal assault on Mr. Bourke"s wife, Jean Gilbert, happened in front of the couple"s three children.The couple had been married for twelve years when Jean Gilbert resumed a relationship with a UK-based jazz musician whom she had been involved with prior to her marriage to Mr. Bourke, who worked with Hibernian Aviva Insurance.Mr. Bourke told the court at one stage: 'I loved her so much. I just couldn"t bear it. I just couldn"t take this...It was just too much. Oh God, please forgive me.'