Judge Sentences Huguely to 23 Years

Lawyers for George Huguely V asked for leniency in his sentencing Thursday, and they got a little.

Huguely was sentenced Thursday to 23 years in prison for the 2010 murder of his ex-girlfriend, Cockeysville native Yeardley Love, according to WUSA.

The Chevy Chase native was also given three years supervised probation (to follow the prison sentence) and is serving one year for larceny concurrently, the television station reports.

His defense, however, plans to appeal, WJLA reports.

Huguely of second-degree murder and grand larceny after a Charlottesville jury found that he beat Love and left her for dead in her off-campus apartment. The jury found Huguely stole Love's laptop.

The jury recommended that Huguely spend 26 years in prison. Virginia judges may reduce the recommended sentence, but typically follow the jury's choice. Virginia does not offer parole, though inmates can reduce their sentence by up to 15 percent through good behavior credits. Huguely will also get credit for time served; he has been behind bars since his 2010 arrest.

If he were convicted of first-degree or felony murder, Huguely could have been sentenced to life in prison.

At the sentencing hearing, Charlottesville Circuit Court Judge Edward Hogshire heard character testimony from Huguely's relatives and acquaintances, according to news reports. Prosecutors brought former classmates and friends of Huguely and Love to testify about Huguely's relationships and history of violence.

In a sentencing memorandum filed Wednesday and obtained by the Washington Post, Huguely's relatives asked Hogshire for leniency. Some of his relatives were expected to testify Thursday.

Love's mother Sharon and sister Lexie submitted victim impact statements, according to news reports.

Huguely himself tearfully addresed the court and Love's relatives. ABC2's Christian Schaffer Tweets that Huguely told Sharon and Lexie Love: "I am so sorry for your loss. I hope and pray that you might find peace."

The February trial included testimony from , first responders and , who described a troubled, alcohol-fueled romance marked by fights that ended in the early morning hours of May 3, 2010, when Huguely burst into Love's apartment and the two got into a fight, shortly after Huguely learned of infidelities by Love. A roommate found her half-naked in a pool of blood, and resuscitation efforts failed.

Earlier this month, Hogshire denied Huguely's lawyers' .

Earlier this year, Sharon and Lexie Love filed civil suits against both Huguely and university administrators.

At Notre Dame Prep, Yeardley Love's Towson alma mater, school officials are in her honor.