After six hours of deliberation a Leeds Crown Court jury yesterday unanimously convicted Hill of 73-year-old Castleford widow Mrs Wright's murder following a trial lasting more than four weeks.

Hill's schoolteacher wife of 20 years Maxine – one of Mrs Wright's two daughters – did not believe Hill was Mrs Wright's killer and stood by him as he fought the murder charge.

Mrs Hill told the jury last week: "If I thought David was guilty I would say so."

She sobbed as she was helped from court after the guilty verdict was returned to gasps of 'no' from the public gallery.

Hill, 48, of Lakeside Meadows, Pontefract, was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced tomorrow.

He killed Mrs Wright then claimed she had been attacked by an intruder.

Hill battered the grandmother repeatedly over the head with a heavy, curved weapon – possibly an ornamental elephant from her mantlepiece – after losing his temper during a confrontation at her home in Redhill Gardens in on Wednesday, September 27 2006.

The father-of-two, who had £20,000 of credit card and personal loan debt, said he arrived to find patio doors open. Hill told police he discovered her body on the kitchen floor before dialling 999 and claimed to have become covered in the widow's blood cuddling and trying to revive her.

But forensic scientist Samantha Warna told the jury the pattern of blood spattering on Hill's clothes pointed to him having repeatedly struck Mrs Wright on the head.

There was no evidence of a break-in and police found just over £10,000 cash in various locations in Mrs Wright's bungalow.

The prosecution claimed Mrs Wright may have discovered he had been altering and photocopying bank statements to hide the fact that he was taking money from a joint bank account she and Hill shared for their greeting cards and toy stall at Castleford indoor market.

The court had heard from a former financial adviser to Mrs Wright and her late husband John, who died of cancer in January 2006, who estimated the couple were worth around £2m.

The jury was told Mrs Wright may have told Hill she had stopped probate of John Wright's will from which Hill and his wife Maxine were to benefit by over £100,000.

During the trial Hill told the jury he had lied to police about his movements on the day Mrs Wright was killed.