A Swansea couple convicted of murdering popular Campbell Town man Shane Geoffrey Barker will spend 22 years in jail.
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Cedric Harper Jordan, 71, and Noelene June Jordan, 68, were found guilty of the cowardly, premeditated murder by a Supreme Court jury in Launceston.
Cedric Jordan shot Mr Barker from behind in cold blood on August 2, 2009.
The couple wanted to prevent their granddaughter Sophie Barker, Mr Barker's then five and a half year old daughter, from ever seeing him again, Director of Public Prosecutions Daryl Coates SC told Justice Robert Pearce in a submission.
Justice Pearce said the fatal shot was fired when Mr Barker was on the ground.
Before sentencing four members of the Shane Barker's family, mother Barbara Barker, brother Paul Barker, sister Nicole Garwood and sister-in-law Rebecca Barker read heart-rending victim impact statements.
Paul Barker choked back tears as he spoke of the dramatic effect of the murder on the last 14 years of his life.
Barbara Barker told of the heartbreak her late husband Robert Loyal Barker felt at the murder of his son.
Ms Garwood condemned the Jordan's for "gutlessly shooting" her brother in the back.
Rebecca Barker read her statement highlighting the effect of the murder on her husband and her family.
EARLIER
After a 10-week trial and more than two days of deliberation, a Supreme Court jury in Launceston has reached a verdict in the murder trial of Shane Geoffrey Barker.
It found a Swansea couple guilty of the cold-blooded murder of their ex-son-in-law Shane Geoffrey Barker in 2009.
Cedric Harper Jordan, 71, and Noelene June Jordan, 68, face the prospect of spending the rest of their lives in jail.
The couple reacted without emotion.
The 12-person jury deliberated for just over two days after a marathon 10-week trial.
Members of the Barker family who attended throughout the trial gasped when the verdict was handed down.
The couple's daughter Rachel Jordan, Mr Barker's ex-wife, was also present in court.
She showed no emotion.
During the trial, the jury heard that the couple hated Mr Barker and wanted complete control of their granddaughter Sophie Barker.
About 6.40pm on August 2, 2009 after lying in wait at Mr Barker's home, Mr Jordan gunned Mr Barker down from behind in a cowardly attack comprising four subsonic bullets from a .22 pump action rifle.
Despite being critically wounded Mr Barker, 36, was able to get inside his home, but died shortly after.
Mr Jordan gathered three cartridge cases, but left a fourth case behind - which became critical ballistic evidence in the trial.
The murder weapon was never found.
Noelene Jordan was guilty of murder because the couple were "in it together" in what the prosecution said was a "pre-planned execution".
The Jordans post-offence conduct, which was also critical evidence in the trial, included lying to police about their whereabouts on the night of the murder.
They initially swore in statutory declarations that they were in Swansea all night.
However, police confronted them with Telstra records which showed they were travelling up the Midland Highway at 7.11pm and 7.33pm.
At 7.33pm, Noelene Jordan texted "All good down here" to their daughter from the Launceston suburb of Youngtown.
After the alibi blew up, the couple then told police that they had driven from Swansea to KFC at Kings Meadows on the night.
But in subsequent interviews, accounts of the route they took and whether they walked in or drove through varied.
Evidence was heard that in the period before the murder Mr Jordan, a lifelong shooter, told acquaintances that he had a bullet with Shane's name on it and that Mr Barker would get what was coming to him.
Rachel Jordan's ex partner Justin Titley gave evidence that Mr Jordan test fired a .22 rifle at the rural property where he lived.
Mr Titley said Mr Jordan said it would be a good rifle to get rid of somebody with because it was unregistered.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Mr Titley gave evidence that on August 2, 2009 Rachel Jordan told him she had a sixth sense that her daughter Sophie would never have to visit Mr Barker again.
Both accused suffered extreme emotional reactions in the days after the murder which the prosecution said was disproportionate to the death of an ex-son-in-law.
The couple concocted an elaborate lie to cover the possibility that any forensic evidence would be found at Mr Barker's home after the murder.
They said they had retrieved a crow bar from Mr Barker's home exactly one week before the murder.
While the crow bar story was likely untrue it put Mr Jordan in the alleyway where the cartridge case was found.
Police investigated the case for several years until a cold case unit under the leadership of detective sergeant Mark Lopes was tasked with solving the crime in 2016.
Murder charges were laid in May, 2020.
Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for The Examiner. My journalism career has clicked over 34 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for The Examiner. My journalism career has clicked over 34 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
