The trial of a mother from Queen, accused of shooting and killing her Irish-American husband Ray, a retired NYPD sergeant, began in State Supreme Court in Queens on Friday.

In the opening remarks the jury was told by both the defense and prosecution that Barbara did kill her husband at their Howard Beach home on February 18, 2008 by using two different guns, one of which was his own weapon, to shoot him 11 times.

Defence attorney Michael Dowd described the shooting as self defense.

“That morning, he actually pointed the automatic at her and said he was going to kill her,” Dowd told the court.
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He claims the former cop had beaten his wife for years and she had to protect their two children from him also.

Sheehan was flanked by two dozen relatives and friends in the court room who all wore purple ribbons of support against domestic violence.

She briefly spoke to reporters while leaving court: “I’m really having a hard time right now, it’s a little hard for me to speak right now,” she told reporters.

She is expected to take to the stand in the coming weeks, with her two adult children.

She has pleaded not guilty and is free on $1 million bail.