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A former Sydney restauranteur who organised his wife's murder has been jailed for at least nine years, while the man who stabbed her to death will spend at least 15 years behind bars.
Mark Caleo, 55, was in April found guilty of soliciting the murder of his wife, Rita, who was stabbed 23 times in her Double Bay home in Sydney in 1990.
The crown claimed Caleo was motivated to have her killed after she found out he was having an affair and tried to cut him out of her will.
He paid former Kings Cross bouncer Alani Afu $10,000 to carry out the murder, telling him to make it look like "a robbery gone wrong".
Mark Caleo was acquitted of another charge that he stood trial for — soliciting the murder of his wife's brother, Dr Michael Chye, who was shot in the head as he drove into the garage of his home in nearby Woollahra in 1989.
In his sentencing remarks Justice Robert Hulme said the Caleos had successful business ventures and lived very well, with Rita Caleo often buying expensive jewellery.
Justice Hulme said that before her death, Rita Caleo changed her will, removing her husband as a beneficiary.
She stated in the will that this was because he was unfaithful to her and had affairs.
Justice Hulme said he could only give the men sentences that were available for their crimes at the time of offending, almost 30 years ago.
The maximum sentence for solicit to murder has since changed.
Outside court Geoff Thompson — a Chye family friend — said he was disappointed the sentences could not be longer.
"During the weeks of the trial it was particularly difficult for us to hear Mark Caleo fabricating lies," he said.
In sentencing, Justice Hulme said it was unclear exactly when Mark Caleo decided to organise the murder of his wife.
Justice Hulme said on the night of the murder Mark Caleo deliberately left his wife's balcony door open to give her killer access.
The judge said although some jewellery was taken, there was no evidence of the home being ransacked with clear signs the murder was set up by an insider.
"There is no wonder police paid close attention to Mark Caleo from the outset of the investigation," he said.
The judge referred to the callous way Rita Caleo — who was of a slight build — was repeatedly stabbed while other family members slept in a room nearby.
The judge said Afu squandered the $10,000 soon after receiving it.
Justice Hulme referred to a victim impact statement in which one of Rita Caleo's daughters had described the effect of her death on the family.
The statement said: "It's a lifetime crime that affected countless people and continues to".
Justice Hulme sentenced Mark Caleo to 12 years for soliciting his wife's murder, with a non-parole period of nine years.
Alani Afu was sentenced to 20 years with a non-parole period of 15 years for murdering her.
Topics: law-crime-and-justice, murder-and-manslaughter, crime, nsw, ramsgate-2217, double-bay-2028, woollahra-2025
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