Sydney high-rise murderer jailed for up to 26 years

An Australian who threw his Canadian girlfriend off the balcony of their high-rise Sydney apartment in a crime that captivated the nation has been sentenced to 26 years in jail.

Simon Gittany was convicted of hurling his fiancee, former ballerina Lisa Harnum, from their 15th floor home in a fit of rage in July 2011 after discovering that she planned to leave him.

The 40-year-old, who was steadfastly supported in court by his new girlfriend, maintained his innocence throughout the trial, claiming a suicidal Harnum, 30, slipped and fell after climbing over a railing.