A 76-year-old man, who killed his wife after spending nearly 50 years with her, was jailed for 13 years Monday by a court in Australia.

While pronouncing the sentence, the Supreme Court of Victoria said Peter Caruso, a retired fruiterer, might die in jail, but the sentence had to reflect the seriousness of his crime, the Herald Sun reported.

Describing the crime as 'brutal and horrific', Justice Betty King said there was no explanation for the killing of Rosa Caruso and there never would be one.

'You have been a decent, hard-working man throughout your life,' she told Caruso during sentencing.

Justice King said the crime was not only out of character for the killer, but also for the couple's relationship, which had been apparently trouble free.

She set a non-parole term of 13 years' jail, with a maximum of 18.

Caruso, who killed his wife in 2008, maintained he and his wife had a good relationship and had been looking forward to celebrating their 50-year wedding anniversary later that year.

In May this year a Supreme Court jury found Caruso guilty of the murder of his 72-year-old wife in their home in July 2008.