A man convicted of killing his wife in a “cowardly rage” with a 1.8kg sledgehammer has not succeeded in appealing his conviction.

In April 2020, police discovered his wife lying face down in a pool of blood at the house in Narangba, north of Brisbane, which the couple had shared before separating.

The appeal justices outlined several statements made by Sturgess to the police and in letters following his wife’s death, which were presented to the jury as evidence of his intent.

“She’s probably driven me to it. But she didn’t deserve that,” Sturgess told police in an interview.

In February 2024, Sturgess was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of 20 years without parole, later reduced to 16 years and two months considering the time he had already served.

Cook said Sturgess had struck his wife with significant force out of a sense of “cowardly rage” as part of a horrible domestic violence incident.

In sentencing, Justice Tom Sullivan said Sturgess had left the scene to buy and drink alcohol without checking his wife’s vital signs.

“In your police interview there is a sense of regret, a lot in respect of yourself, some of it wallowing in self-pity,” Justice Sullivan said.

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