With her grey cardigan matching her grey hair, glasses, and neatly pressed blue and white striped shirt, Donna Adelson looked like any other 75-year-old grandmother.

The picture of prim respectability, her self-control evaporated when a jury – which had deliberated for only three hours – found her guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder.

Sobbing uncontrollably and repeatedly shouting: “Oh my God”, Judge Stephen Everett had to remind Adelson to “control yourself”.

“Mrs Adelson, while this was not the outcome I’m sure you desired, there will not be any further outbursts in front of the jury. If you cannot control yourself, I am going to have to determine if you will be removed from the remainder of this process.”