A KILLER who throttled his wife to death after she goaded him about the paternity of their baby son has had his minimum jail term slashed by top judges on appeal.

Ronald Tyler was put behind bars indefinitely for public protection (IPP) at the Old Bailey last August after he was convicted of the manslaughter Julie Mckinley at the home they shared in Stroud Green Road, Finsbury Park.

Mr Justice Eder, sitting in London’s Appeal Court with Sir Anthony May and Mr Justice Bean, said Tyler strangled the mum-of-four his wife in front of their baby son in December 2009 after she taunted him with claims that he was not the father.

Tyler said he “put his hands around her throat and squeezed” after seeing red.

Mr Justice Eder said the attack occurred when the couple’s other children were in the flat, and “with their baby present in the room where the killing took place”.

After choking his wife, Tyler, who had a chronic alcohol problem, went on a drinking spree.

Despite a long history of violence, Tyler went to London’s Appeal Court to challenge the eight-year “minimum term” he must serve before he can apply for parole.

Mr Justice Eder noted the intense remorse shown by the 47-year-old and concluded that the eight-year term was “manifestly excessive”, cutting it to six years.

The terms of Tyler’s IPP sentence mean that, once the six-year minimum expires, Tyler will still only be freed if he can convince the Parole Board the danger he poses to the public has passed.

Jurors at the original trial heard Tyler was “obsessively jealous” and had convictions for 44 separate offences since 1977, 14 of which were for violence or threatening and abusive conduct - four of them involving his wife.

There were also 20 other reports made to police by Ms McKinley between 1996 and 2009 of alleged violent or abusive behaviour which she did not pursue.

In addition, Tyler admitted to a psychiatrist that he had “slapped” three other women during three previous “turbulent” relationships.

In November 2008 he was convicted of common assault against his wife and given a suspended sentence.

After breaching the suspended sentence he was given a 52-week jail term in July last year but was released - just two months before the fatal attack.