Former Turin politician Francesco Furchì was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday for the murder of Turin city councillor Alberto Musy.
Musy was shot in the courtyard of his home in March 2012 after taking his children to school and lingered in a coma for 19 months before his death.
In court, Furchì proclaimed his innocence in the shooting that was initially treated as an attempted murder until Musy's death the night of October 22-23, 2013.
"I am innocent, this is an injustice," Furchì said as he was led from the courtroom.
Musy, a married father of four young children, belonged to the centrist UDC party and investigators had said that a likely motive for the shooting was his unwillingness to do favours for Furchì who had supported Musy's political campaign.
His widow said the sentence was a relief and brought an end to a painful story.
"I finally know what to say to my girls when I get home," said Angelica Corporandi D'Auvare.
"For all of us this is a liberation, we can now return to life," she said, adding that the attack on her husband had triggered many questions for the family about who hated Musy enough to ambush and kill him.
Also Wednesday, the court ordered one million euros in damages to the widow and their four daughters.
Musy's mother Paola Pavia, and sister Antonella were awarded 100,000 euros each.
The City of Turin, which also claimed damages, was awarded 30,000 euros and the University of Eastern Piedmont, where Musy taught, was awarded 83,000 euros.
During the trial, Turin prosecutor Francesco Furlan described the killing as a murder aggravated by "premeditation, vile and futile motives, and the defenseless state of his victim".
Investigators had said that they suspect Furchì was furious because Musy would not help him in return for Furchì's political support.
"Principally there are three motives - Furchì sought but was refused professorship at the Palermo university, he was not nominated for a Turin city council position after supporting Musy's campaign, and Musy did not procure investors for Furchì's business activities," chief investigator Giancarlo Caselli said several months after a shooting.
"Furchì blames Musy for all of these failures".
Musy, a labour lawyer, was shot by a person waiting in the courtyard of the building where he lived.
Closed-circuit video footage showed a suspect near to the scene dressed in dark clothes and wearing a motorcycle helmet.
"I can't say anything except that I'm sorry," Furchì told reporters as he entered court for a hearing in early 2013.
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