A husband was jailed today for at least 19 years for the brutal murder of his wife by beating and strangling her.

The High Court in Glasgow heard that Alan Humphrey, 56, punched, kicked, throttled and stamped on his wife and then left.

It was five days before 49-year-old Angela Humphrey's body was found by her devastated family.

Humphrey was out drinking and boasting of the killing the day after.

Judge Lady Rae sentenced Humphrey to life imprisonment and ordered him to serve at least 19 years before being eligible for parole at the High Court in Glasgow.

She told him: "This was a truly a very brutal and violent attack on a defenceless woman. After you battered her mercilessly you abandoned her. You used your hands, your feet, you stamped on her. "You are a violent man and what is concerning is you have shown no remorse for what you did." Advocate depute Sheena Fraser, prosecuting, revealed that Humphrey has previous convictions for violence, including two High Court convictions and one at Crown Court in England.

Throughout his trial Humphrey denied murdering his wife, but the jury took just over an hour to find him guilty.

The court heard that Humphrey boasted to two regulars in the Black Bull pub in Glasgow's Gallowgate that he had killed his wife.

He told 71-year-old George Bothwell and his wife Joyce: "I think I've killed her."

His remark came after they asked where Mrs Humphrey was and suggested she should join them for a drink.

Through his defence counsel Thomas Ross Humphrey claimed that the couple had misunderstood him.

He maintained Humphrey was talking about his son Sean Humphrey who was murdered in 2013 by Steven Ross the son of Tam the Licensee McGraw's enforcer Gordon Ross.

The murderous attack on Mrs Humphrey took place on February 21 at flat 0/2, 58 Quarrywood Avenue, Glasgow.

Her body was found in her home five days later after her family became concerned about not being able to contact her and broke into the flat.

The cause of death was head and neck injuries. The couple married in May 2010 and their relationship was stormy. Mrs Humphrey's daughters Jacqueline, 26, and Amanda, 28, became increasingly concerned when their mother did not answer her phone and the curtains were drawn at her home.

Jacqueline McMonagle, 26, told the court that she last saw her mother alive on Tuesday, February 18, when she and her daughter visited.

She told prosecutor Sheena Fraser that from Friday, February 21, onwards she repeatedly tried to contact her mother by phone without success. Her sister Amanda also tried to phone their mum - without success.

Miss McMonagle said: "On the Saturday around 2pm I went up to my mum's house and pushed the buzzer at the entry door, but got no answer.

"The bedroom and living room curtains were closed. I looked through a gap in the bedroom curtains. The bed was made and the room was tidy."

She told the court that she was unable to see through the living room curtains and added: "I just thought it was strange they were closed. My mum always had her curtains open when she was up."

Miss McMonagle said that by Tuesday, February 26, she wanted to call the police and report her mother missing.

She said that instead her partner Stephen Thomson and his dad Jack Thomson went round to her mother's house.

Miss McMonagle broke down in tears and said: "Stephen returned after about 10 minutes and asked his mum to phone the police."

Ms Fraser said: "Were you told by the police that your mother had been found dead in the house," and she replied: "Yes."

Fourteen years ago at the High Court in Glasgow Humphrey stood trial for murdering police janitor Michael McManus in 2000, but the jury returned a not proven verdict after a four-day trial.