New Glasgow man sentenced to 15 years for killing his girlfriend

A 39-year-old New Glasgow, N.S., man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for killing his girlfriend.

The body of 36-year-old Agnes Nicole Campbell was found in December2015 at the top of the stairs outside the apartment the couple had been living in for just a matter of weeks .

Robert Jason MacKenzie was initially charged with second-degree murder but the Crown reduced that to manslaughter. MacKenzie pleaded guilty to the lesser offence. He was sentenced earlier this week in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Pictou.

Court was told at sentencing that both MacKenzie and Campbell had a history of drug and alcohol abuse and both had been consuming drugs and alcohol in the hours prior to her death.

An autopsy revealed that Campbell had been stabbed five times in the back and neck.

The day after her death, MacKenzie was observed leaving an adjacent apartment with a bundle of wet clothing and a knife. Campbell's blood and DNA were found on the clothing.

The Crown and defence made a joint sentencing recommendation for 15 years, which the judge accepted. MacKenzie is getting credit for time spent in custody as his case made its way through the courts. That means there's just over 10 years left on MacKenzie's sentence.