Mark Barrott, who was the subject of a nationwide manhunt after the killing in the Whinmoor area of ​​Leeds, was traced 400 miles away at a monastery in north-east Scotland where he was using an alias. He had admitted manslaughter but denied murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility due to mental illness. He claimed in court that he believed his wife was possessed and wanted to kill him. After a two-week jury trial at Leeds Crown Court, Barrott, now 55, was found guilty last month of murdering Eileen, who was 50. On Monday, Judge Andrew Hatton, at Bradford Crown Court, jailed Barrott for life with a minimum of 21 years. He described his crime as the “ultimate act of control” after a long history of domestic abuse. Det Ch Insp Vanessa Rolfe, the senior investigating officer, said Barrott was “responsible for a sickening catalog of coercive and controlling behavior against his wife, Eileen, over a number of years. “When he realized he was finally trying to break free from this toxic relationship, he acted with murderous intent. His cruel and selfish actions have robbed Eileen of her family and friends and left a huge hole in their lives.” Eileen Barrott was found dead in her home. He had been attacked with a hammer and strangled. Photo: West Yorkshire Police/PA Eileen has worked as a staff nurse in Leeds teaching hospitals NHS trust since 1996, most recently at St James Hospital. When he was working late, he would go there demanding to know where she was. The court heard he would turn up unannounced when she was out socializing, causing a scene and rows with her friends and colleagues. Barrott stalked his wife physically and electronically using a cell phone and tracking device hidden in her purse. She was checking her cell phone and deleting contacts she didn’t approve of. In August last year, Barrott attacked his wife with a hammer and strangled her, leaving her unresponsive body to be found by the couple’s adult son. She was pronounced dead by rescuers. Barrett was on the run, traveling to Edinburgh and Aberdeen. After a nationwide alert, he was traced to Pluscarden Abbey, near Elgin, where he was hiding using the alias John Connolly. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST Rolfe said she hoped the conviction and sentence would provide some comfort to Eileen’s family and those who loved her. “Controlling or coercive behavior in a relationship became a specific offense in 2015 and continues to be a priority for West Yorkshire Police and its partner services in our work to tackle domestic abuse and implement our violence against of women and girls to improve investigations and reduce crimes that disproportionately affect women and girls,” Rolfe said. “We always encourage victims or those who are aware of their situation to report it, either directly to our specialist safeguarding officers or to any of our partner services, including the National Domestic Abuse Helpline.”