Teary and shaken, Fiona Rixon nervously touched a man's gold wedding band, which she was wearing in a chain around her neck.
Moments earlier the man who murdered her husband, police officer David Rixon, had been sentenced to life in prison.
Michael Allan Jacobs, 49, became the first person to be put away for life under new a law requiring a mandatory life term for anyone who murders a police officer in the course of their duty.
Mrs Rixon had remained composed throughout Jacobs' sentencing in Sydney's Supreme Court on Friday but began to break down as she walked out of the court building with her six children and the state's top cops by her side.
More than a dozen police officers, who had travelled on a bus from Tamworth, formed a guard of honour as the grief-stricken family walked towards the large media pack waiting for them.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
She clung to the gold ring and thanked a long list of people before becoming too emotional to say much more.
"I'm very proud of my children - we've been through this hurricane, tornado, rollercoaster ride, whatever you want to call it, for the last 18 months," she said.
Jacobs, on the other hand, barely blinked after Justice Richard Button told him that he would spend the rest of his life in jail.
Justice Button said killing a police officer was more serious than intending to murder a civilian.
"The murder of a police officer is a direct assault on our system of parliamentary democracy," he said.
Jacobs' trial earlier this year heard he shot the father-of-six in the chest after being pulled over for a random breath test in Tamworth in March 2012.
Senior Constable Rixon returned fire, hitting Jacobs in the abdomen, leg and shoulder.
Jacobs could then be heard screaming, "Die, I'm sorry. Sorry sir, sorry".
The experienced police officer even handcuffed his own murderer before collapsing.
The 40-year-old died at the scene while Jacobs underwent life-saving surgery.
During his five-week trial, Jacobs tried to pin the blame on a local drug dealer, Terry Price, but this was rejected by the jury, who took only an hour to find him guilty.
The prosecution argued that Jacobs had been disqualified from driving and was facing the threat of imprisonment when he was approached by the officer.
Police Minister Michael Gallacher said the law, introduced in 2011, had got it right.
"The legislation was absolutely spot on, the interpretation spot on," Mr Gallacher said outside the court.
This sentiment was echoed by Premier Barry O'Farrell who said that the sentence sent "the strongest possible message" to those who intended to harm the police.
Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said it was an emotional day for the police force, which had lost one of its finest.
"Today justice has been served and served well," he said.
