Once Graham Robert Morant finally succeeded in convincing his wife to kill herself, he was there every step of the way to make sure she did.

The self-styled pastor, who wanted Jennifer Morant's life insurance to build a religious commune, drove her to a hardware store to collect the equipment she would need.

He helped her unpack it.

He helped her set it up.

The next day, she did what he told her to do at their Gold Coast hinterlands home.

Morant, 69, on Friday became the first person in Australia, and most likely the world, to be jailed for counselling and helping someone to end their life, receiving a 10-year sentence for his role in her death on November 30, 2014.

Jennifer Morant. (supplied)

He was painted at his trial as so money-hungry and desperate to follow through on his plans to build the compound, complete with bunkers to ride out a religious rapture, that he spent months persuading his wife to kill herself.

He spoke openly to Mrs Morant about how he would spend her $1.4 million in life insurance payouts, and told her she would not be sinning if she went through with it because it would benefit himself and the church.

In jailing Morant, Supreme Court Justice Peter Davis said he exploited his wife's poor health to get his hands on the money.

"Mrs Morant was a vulnerable person with difficulties with her physical health. She was suffering depression," Justice Davis told Morant.

"You took advantage of those vulnerabilities in order to persuade her to kill herself and then assisted her to do so once she had made that decision."

The court heard Mrs Morant had told friends and relatives she was scared and had doubts about ending her life but felt trapped by her own promises to pay people out.

Graham Morant has been jailed for pressuring his wife to kill herself. (AAP)

Justice Davis said Morant had shown no remorse for his actions.

"You had an acute awareness that upon Mrs Morant's death you would benefit from a payout from the insurance policies," he said.

"You counselled and aided your wife to suicide because you wanted to get your hands on the $1.4 million."

Friends told reporters outside the court Mrs Morant was a bubbly woman who made friends wherever she went.

Lynette Lucas, Mrs Morant's sister, said there were no winners in the case but that she was relieved it had come to an end.

"Jenny came to me and I really did try to help Jenny and unfortunately we feel that we might have failed her," she said.

"This is at least some sort of closure for her and some sort of peace."

Morant was sentenced to 10 years' jail for counselling wife to take her life, and six years, to be served concurrently, for helping her to do it.

He can apply for parole after October 2023.

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