Brian Volker has been sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted of killing his estranged wife in 2009.

Last week, Volker, 50, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his estranged wife 44-year-old Debi Volker.

She was found shot in her Delburne home on Feb. 23, 2009.

Volker was also found guilty of break and enter, one count of breaching conditions of release and three counts of failing to comply with previous court orders.

On Monday, Justice Doreen Sulyma handed down a life sentence which also included a seven-year sentence for break and enter and assault with a weapon and a seven-month sentence which will be served concurrently with the life sentence.

Volker will have no chance of parole for 25 years.

During the sentencing Volker addressed the court.

“I want to apologize to my kids and my family,” he said, as he broke down in tears. “Things should have never happened and I’m going to stand up and say wrong was wrong.”

Outside the courtroom, defense lawyer Patricia McNaughton said she has been instructed by Volker to launch an appeal of his sentence.

This appeal must be made within 30 days from when the sentence was handed down.

“My client is devastated by the conviction of the jury on the first degree murder change,” she said.

Les Jones, Debi’s father, said the emotion Volker expressed during his sentencing wasn’t sincere.

“I wasn’t impressed with him breaking out in tears,” he said. “It’s like he’s been sitting there in church for three weeks. He knew what he was doing from the start. Them weren’t real tears.”

He added his daughter was a soft and caring person who believed everyone should be given a chance.

“This has broken us all. Debi’s brother is all busted up,” said Jones. “The kids aren’t doing too bad but they’ll never get over it.

“It’s good to finally know things are over. It’s been a long two years.”

Crown Prosecutor Anders Quist said he is satisfied with the sentence handed down to Volker.

“This is a tragic story,” he said. “The heroes in this storm were the Volker children. We asked a lot of them and they were about to talk about the darkest moments in their lives.”

Quist added as for Volker’s appeal, he doesn’t know what grounds it is based on.

“Almost every murder conviction comes with an appeal so this is not really of any surprise but I’m not sure what ground the appeal will stand on,” he said.

During the four-week trial, Volker testified that he did not remember anything to do with the shooting death of his estranged wife.

He said on the evening of Feb. 22, 2009, he had taken five 15 mg sleeping pills which caused him to have amnesia for the next 38.5 hours, including the time in which Debi was murdered.

The estranged couple’s teenaged children, Jeremy, Jordan and Janelle testified about the night their mother was killed.

Jeremy said he physically struggled with his father moments before his mother was shot.

efawcett@reddeerexpress.com