An Edmonton woman convicted of manslaughter for stabbing her husband through the heart during a drunken argument was handed a five-year prison term Thursday.

Debra Rivera, 54, cried both after being sentenced and shortly before when she tearfully told Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Stephen Hillier that she was “sorry for what she did” and said the killing “wasn’t intentional.”

Hillier called the deadly May 20, 2011, stabbing a “tragic event,” but noted it was aggravating that Rivera “intended to injure” victim John Lindsay, 55, as she was armed with a knife and buried it in his chest “up to the hilt.”

However, the judge accepted that the long-term alcoholic was remorseful and she had immediately gone for help after the stabbing and fully cooperated with police.

Hillier also noted Rivera had no prior criminal record and she had suffered a “horrific” upbringing and led a “troubled” life marked by alcohol abuse and violence.

The Crown had sought a sentence of between six and eight years while Rivera’s lawyer suggested three years.

Rivera had been charged with second-degree murder, but was convicted after trial of the lesser offence of manslaughter. She also tried to plead guilty to manslaughter at the start of the trial, but the Crown refused to accept it.

At trial, court heard Rivera had been drunk and on medication at the time of the stabbing at the couple’s north-side apartment and witnesses reported she was hysterical and crying afterwards and saying she didn’t mean to do it.

Lorraine Rider testified during the trial she was washing dishes about 7:45 a.m. on May 20, 2011, when there was a “frantic knock” at the door of her apartment near 110 Avenue and 83 Street and a crying Rivera came in, stumbled to her knees and said she had stabbed her husband.

“She was crying. She was broken. She was hysterical,” said Rider, adding she immediately ran downstairs to get the landlord to check on the victim.

After hearing Lindsay’s voice as he called 911, Rider said she spoke to police and returned to her suite, where she saw Rivera sitting having a beer before being arrested.

Under cross examination, Rider agreed that Rivera had “collapsed” when she came in to her apartment and had said: “I didn’t mean to do it” and that she was “sorry.”

Landlord Hamo Bjelic testified his wife had come home from work that morning and said she heard “loud talk” coming from the suite where Rivera and Lindsay lived.

Bjelic said he went over to the suite after Rider knocked on his door and saw Lindsay standing talking on the phone with a knife sticking out of his lower left chest.

He testified he also heard Rivera yelling “in a panic” from the stairwell, asking if Lindsay was “still alive.”

Rivera was given credit for the six months she served in pre-trial custody, leaving her with 4-1/2 years to serve. She was also ordered to submit a DNA sample and banned from possessing weapons for 10 years.