A woman who took out a home-improvement loan to pay for a hitman to kill her husband was jailed for seven years today — but has already been forgiven by her partner.

Zoe Kenealy, 44, asked her lover, who lived next door, to hire the killer so that she could claim the life insurance money. But today her husband, Timothy, said he forgave her and would resume their relationship when she is released.

Kenealy, a care worker from Croydon, South London, was found guilty in April at the Old Bailey of soliciting murder.

Judge Gregory Stone called Kenealy’s plot "cynical and cruel" and praised her family for turning her into the police when they discovered her plans.

Mr Kenealy, a 51-year-old catering worker, did not comment as he left the court today, but he said recently that he would remain faithful to his wife. "I still love Zoe dearly. She’s the love of my life and I want to be with her for ever."

He told the Sunday Mirror: "When Zoe was arrested I was heartbroken, but I never stopped loving her. When I exchanged wedding vows with her I meant every word, for richer for poorer, till death do us part, but little did I know those words would come back to haunt me and land the love of my life in jail.'

And he said that they became closer while she was on bail.

He added: 'She said she couldn't understand how I could love her after what she'd done. I told her I wouldn't give up on her, and in those months waiting for the police action we became closer than we had been for years.

"Ironically, it was like we were back to normal - we were soul-mates again."

When Mr Kenealy asked his wife why she did it, he said: "She broke down in tears and said it was because I smothered her with love and she felt suffocated."

Judge Stone said: "I am told your husband had forgiven you. That goes some way but I have to consider the public interest. I accept you were somewhat depressed but you knew perfectly well what you were doing."

During the trial Simon Wild, prosecuting, said Kenealy gave her neighbour Lee Waite, 31, £3,000 to hire someone for the hit but he pocketed the money.

"She asked me to kill her husband," Mr Waite said in his evidence, "I was at home and she texted me. I was quite shocked. She asked if I knew anyone that could get rid of somebody.

Kenealy was arrested in January 2007 after members of the family called in police after she texted her brother asking for cash to have her husband killed because she hated him.

Nicholas Atkinson QC, defending, told the judge: "This is a desperately sad woman. She found her husband difficult to cope with."

He said Kenealy had been infatuated by Mr Waite, although there had been no sexual relationship. "He had taken advantage of her to get the money but had no intention of harming Mr Kenealy. There was no risk. It was never going to happen," said Mr Atkinson.

The judge told Kenealy, a mother of six: "This was a cynical and cruel attempt to have your husband killed. You did it partly for the insurance money but more because you could no longer bear to live with him.

"Although it is said the hitman never had the intention to commit the murder, the fact is that the more you pursued him and the more money you raised, there was a greater risk that things would change and you husband would be murdered," he said before sentencing her to seven years behind bars.

Kenealy showed no emotion as she was led from court, her family were in tears in the public gallery.

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