Ogden sentenced for wife's murder

A West Coast man will spend 14 years behind bars for murdering his wife. Dale Ogden got that sentence on Wednesday in Supreme Court in Corner Brook.

Dale Ogden beat his wife to death. He shattered her nose with his fists. Then he beat in her skull with the back of an axe. That was in July of 1997. Wednesday was judgement day.

In court, victim Judy Ogden's family. Brought together in their grief. Judy Ogden lived in terror of her estranged husband. He was under a court order to stay away from her. But Judy told family and friends she knew he would kill her. She'd nailed shut the windows in her home, used a knife to wedge the door. Still he got at her.

Ogden's got a criminal past - fraud, theft, extortion, assault. Judge Gail Welsh called that a long record of dishonesty and manipulation. She said Ogden doesn't take full responsibility for the brutal murder. She could have given him as little as 10 years. Instead she gave him 14.

As he left court he turned and grinned at the family. That upset Judy's brother, Edward Benoit. Outside court the family said they're glad it's over. Judy's sister Rose said, "It's been 2 years and 7 months waiting for this day and even though that's been a long time, I'm glad we were all here to see it."

Ogden had nothing to say after his sentencing. The family hopes the 14 year sentence will encourage other women living in fear to get help.