Sending an 80-yar-old man to jail for ten years for the murder of his wife, has been ruled as going too far

Instead, as John and Jean Salter had a suicide pact, he's been sentenced to four years without a minimum non-parole period.

Salter strangled his wife, who had been suffering from Alzheimer's, in their Bayswater retirement village apartment in Mount Maunganui last year.

He attempted to take his own life afterwards - but failed, and instead called his sister and the police.

Before sending Salter down to the cells, Justice Cooke told him not to give up hope.