The close-knit family of murdered Cobar mother Gabrielle Best yesterday stood side-by-side at the Supreme Court in Sydney as the man found guilty of her murder was sentenced to 20 years in prison. It was a long nine-hour drive from the mining town of Cobar to Queen's Square in Sydney but all 12 members of the Best family affirmed nothing could have kept them away. Earlier this year a Supreme Court jury in Dubbo decided Glenn Kenneth Shepherd, 34, was guilty of murdering his de facto wife in the external laundry of their Cobar home on November 20 2003. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, 15 years non-parole, at the Supreme Court in Sydney yesterday. Following the result the victim's sister-in-law and guardian of her four young children, Sharon Best, said her family could now hope to find some closure and move forward with their lives. "The most important thing is to move on, we want the children's innocence to remain intact so they can make their own decisions when they are old enough. "There is a lot of love and strength in this family," she said. Detective Sergeant Adrian Tighe has been the officer in charge of the case for the past three years and said he was satisfied with the result but most of all relieved for the Best family. "I'm just relieved for Gabrielle's family, now they can finally have some closure," he said. Yesterday the Best family openly expressed their gratitude and heartfelt appreciation for Detective Sergeant Tighe - who they affectionately call "one of the family" - saying they could not have done it without him. During the proceedings Justice Hoeben told the court he considered Shepherd to be a person of good character with only two minor offences recorded against him and no history of violence or aggression. As a result, the court heard Shepherd had very good prospects for rehabilitation and a low risk of re-offending. Justice Hoeben said the attack was not premeditated or planned, there was no intent to kill and alcohol had played a significant part. "I am satisfied this offence is not a matter which should be properly characterised as coming within the midrange of objective seriousness for offences of this kind. I see the offence as being close to that standard but below it. "Accordingly I find that the standard non-parole period (20 years) ought not apply to this offence," Justice Hoeben said. For the charge of murder, Glenn Kenneth Shepherd was sentenced to imprisonment with a non-parole period of 15 years backdated to commence on November 22, 2003. He will be eligible for parole on November 22, 2018 with the balance of his term to expire on November 22, 2023.