Wife shot abusive Oz husband after being 'asked to pick child to be killed'

Brisbane, May 18 (ANI): A Brisbane jury has heard that an abusive husband wrote down the names of his four children and asked his wife to pick one to be killed.

Lawyers for Susan Falls, who has been accused of murdering her husband Rodney Falls, told the Brisbane Supreme Court that the "normal mum" from Caloundra had been subjected to more than 20 years of emotional and physical abuse, reports the Brisbane Times.

Susan's parents were planning to visit the family, which infuriated her husband to the point where he threatened to kill one of the children, the lawyers alleged.

The 42-year-old has pleaded not guilty to murdering her husband by lacing his dinner with crushed sleeping pills then firing two bullets into his head as he dozed in his favourite recliner at their home on May 25, 2006.

In opening Mrs Falls' defence case, barrister Jeff Hunter told jurors that his client has never denied shooting her husband, but he argued that she was motivated by years of fear. (ANI)