A cheating husband who lashed out at his wife during a row and then doused her with white spirit and set fire to her while she was still alive has been convicted of murdering her.

Redundant banker Darren Byrne, 40, from Theydon Bois, claimed he found his wife Maria, 35, dead when he returned from a 50 minute dog walk after they had a row.

He claimed he panicked and tried to make it look like a flash fire cooking accident.

But the prosecution told the court Maria was still alive but unconscious when he set light to her in the kitchen of their £900,000 semi-detached home in Morgan Crescent, Theydon Bois, on February 13.

A jury of eight women and four men at Chelmsford Crown Court returned an 11-one majority verdict to guilty to murder after nine hours' deliberation.

It also unanimously convicted him of arson and being reckless as to whether life was endangered, relating to his neighbours.

The court was told that he turned on the gas to cause an explosion but when that failed he tried to make what happened look like a cooking accident.

He will receive a life sentence but the judge will have to set the length of time he must serve behind bars before he is considered for parole.

The judge has warned Byrne that he will be in prison for “an exceedingly long time.”

After the verdict, judge Charles Gratwicke told him: "You have been convicted of what can only be described as a wicked and heinous crime.

“I say nothing further at this stage except you can expect an exceedingly long sentence.”

Byrne, who was made redundant from city firm RJ O'Brien (UK) Ltd, pleaded not guilty to murder and arson.

Expert pathologists called by prosecution and defence disagreed as to whether Mrs Byrne was alive or dead when she was set on fire.

The court heard that her head injury would not have proved fatal, nor would she have died from her 40-45 per cent burns.

Her cause of death was given as immolation by use of an accelerant.

Mrs Byrne, a securities support worker, married her husband in 2008, 18 months after they met at work.

They moved to Theydon Bois and had two sons.

Byrne alleged that his wife had started to get jealous for no reason in 2014 due to his long working hours, and said he didn't mind that she checked his mobile and emails.

However, the prosecution said the row between them happened after Maria discovered a text he had sent to a woman he had been having an affair with.

During the hearing Byrne told the jury he had lashed out and his wife fell backwards on to the kitchen floor.

He said he thought she was faking a panic attack and hyperventilating.

Byrne sat her on a seat and took the dog out.

After returning, he described how he had set fire to her after first pouring white spirit on the floor to roll her in.

He said he had also poured it on top of her and watched in horror as the fire spread to her face and hair.

He told the jury: “Then the fire caught hold.

“I couldn't believe the flames went into her hair, on to her face.

“I thought I was going to black out.”

Byrne will be sentenced later this week.