Man who tried to pass off girlfriend's slaying as suicide sentenced to 11 years

A Calgary man who killed his girlfriend and then tried to convince police it was a suicide has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Luke Anthony MacLeod, 34, was sentenced by Cour|t of Queen's Bench Justice KeithYamauchion Tuesday after he pleaded guilty in April to manslaughter in the 2015 slaying of Sheri Michelle Carpen.

• Luke MacLeod in court on murder charge months after suggesting Sheri Carpin killed herself

MacLeod was first charged with second-degree murder when he was arrested in Coaldale, Alta., in November 2015 following a police investigation.

Court heard he told police Carpen killed herself, but an autopsy and an investigation revealed the 31-year-old woman suffered blunt force trauma to her head and was strangled during a fight fuelled by cocaine and alcohol.

Her body was found in the basement of a home in Pineridge in northeast Calgary.

• MORE CALGARY NEWS|Drivers hope traffic circle change may reduce 'honking and fingers'
• MORE CALGARY NEWS|Alberta pharmacists left scrambling to replace heart drugs amid shortages
• Read more articles byCBC Calgary, like us onFacebookfor updates and subscribe to ourCBC Calgary newsletterfor the day's news at a glance.