The wife of a police officer slain as he carried out his duty last year hopes her husband Keith Smith can now be remembered for the man he was.
"Now that the court process is complete, we hope that Keith can be remembered for the man he was, not the way he was lost," Janaha Smith said after her husband's killer was sentenced in the Supreme Court in Burnie.
"Keith's legacy is that policing works best when it is grounded in community, trust and human connection. He carried these values into every part of his life.
"That is how Keith should be remembered.
"Thank you to Keith's policing family and the community for the love and support shown to our family.
"Keith will always be remembered as a devoted partner, a loving father, son and brother, a loyal friend and a man who truly cared for others.
"Above all, he will be remembered as deeply loved."
Tasmania Police Commissioner Donna Adams said was pleaded Justice Tamara Jago had recognised the impact Leigh Geoffrey Sushames' crime had on Constable Smith's family and the other officers who were there when he lost his life.
"No sentence will bring Keith back but I was pleased with Justice Jago's careful deliberations," she said outside the court.
"Keith did not deserve to be killed in such a senseless way."
She said listening to the details of Sushames' crime in the court had been emotional.
"There were tears in the court room," she said.
"While nothing can undo the tragic events, or bring Keith back, today's outcome is an important step in holding the offender to account."
EARLIER: A man who shot and killed a police officer last year has been given a 40-year sentence for a crime that shocked Tasmania Police and the wider community.
In January, Leigh Geoffrey Sushames, 46, pleaded guilty to murdering Constable Keith Smith.
The 57-year-old officer went to Sushames' North Motton property on June 16, 2025, to serve a court-ordered repossession notice.
Police had visited Sushames earlier and he had shown no sign that he would react the way he did when they returned with the Commonwealth Bank's repossession writ.
Sushames lay in wait in a carport and shot Constable Smith twice, once in the back and once in the temple.
The respected officer died at the scene.
Sushames also pointed his long-armed shotgun at another officer.
In the Supreme Court in Burnie on Friday, Justice Tamara Jago told Sushames that the callousness he displayed was almost "beyond comprehension".
She said the officers had no idea Sushames was lying in wait for them and would turn a routine job into a murder scene within minutes of their arrival.
"You intended to kill him when you discharged," Justice Jago said.
"Constable Smith was entirely vulnerable to your murderous intent.
"He was left defenceless, then you fired again."
Sushames told police after he murdered Constable Smith that he had very little recall of the incident.
But he said he believed God would take care of his mortgage, which he had not paid since 2021, and he had been chosen by God to kill a police officer.
In sentencing, Justice Jago said Sushames suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and a cannabis use disorder which caused psychotic episodes and prompted deep religious beliefs.
Sushames had been smoking a joint in the carport before he decided to open fire on Constable Smith.
When Sushames was nine he had witnessed his older brother being flung off a ride at a show and killed.
However, she said there was nothing to suggest Sushames did not understand the wrongness of his conduct on that day.
"The horror of your conduct speaks for itself," she said.
While she did not hand down a life sentence, Justice Jago said Sushames' age meant the sentence had the potential to have the same effect.
Sushames will not be eligible for parole until he has served 25 years of that 40-year sentence.