The killer of a Bootle shop worker has been jailed for a minimum of 29 years.
Nimalarajah Mathiyaparanam stabbed his estranged wife Nilani Nimalarajah at Low Cost Food and Wine on Stanley Road on June 20 last year.
The 47-year-old from Widnes had already been served with a restraining order against his former partner prior to the incident on the shop floor.
Liverpool Crown Court heard Mathiyaparanam had inflicted 18 stab wounds after not being invited to a family event relating to one of their daughters.
He was detained at the scene but spent several weeks in hospital before being charged due to critical illness from ingesting an unknown substance.
Mathiyaparanam initially denied murder but changed his plea on the second day of his trial before proceeding to sentencing on Friday (January 16).
He had previously pleaded guilty to breaching his restraining order.
In a victim impact, Nilani’s eldest daughter said: “My mum was such a strong woman; she would never allow anyone to disrespect our family and would stand up for who she loved.
“Her absence is something I feel every single day. I miss her voice, her laugh, and the way she made even the hardest days feel manageable.
“There is a constant emptiness in my life that I will ever fully recover from.
“From an early age, my mum was my role model, she taught me how to cook, clean, manage finances and practical life skills.
“She told me to stay smiling even through the hardest days. I never thought I would have to do this without her.”
Detective Chief Inspector Alan Nuttall, who led the investigation, added: “This act of domestic violence is one of the worst I’ve seen during my time working at Merseyside Police.
“Mathiyaparanam carried out his pre-meditated and targeted attack when there were plenty of people around, it was rush hour traffic on the street outside and lots of witnesses.
“He was clearly intent on killing Nilani on this afternoon and simply didn’t care about the consequences.
“Although nothing can bring Nilani back, I sincerely hope that the sentencing of Mathiyaparanam can bring her family and friends some comfort.
“We have been determined to get justice not only for Nilani, but also their children and our thoughts remain with them.”