Killer doctor sentenced, freed on bail

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NEWMARKET, Ontario, June 6 (UPI) -- A 72-year-old Toronto-area gynecologist sentenced to seven years for killing his wife with drug injections was freed on bail hours after being sentenced.

Dr. Joseph Roncaioli was found guilty of killing his wife, Ibi, in July 2003 in February. On Thursday, Justice Jane Ferguson sentenced him to seven years at a court in Newmarket, northeast of Toronto, the Toronto Star reported.

Ferguson said the amount of painkillers injected into the woman after she had been drinking led her to believe it was murder rather than an accident, the newspaper said.

"It was intentional, not spontaneous," Ferguson said in sentencing.

Immediately after sentencing, Roncaioli's attorney filed an appeal of both the conviction and the sentence, the report said.

One of the victim's family members told the Star she couldn't believe the legal system.

"Here is a guy who killed his wife, was convicted of it, was sentenced for it, and is out on bail and never spent a day in jail," Lori Gaudette told the newspaper.