A defendant labeled an “evil man” by the prosecutor was sentenced Thursday to for the beating death of his wife in May of last year.

Buchanan County Circuit Judge Daniel Kellogg ordered Martin Davis of St. Joseph to serve 30 years in prison for his conviction on one count of first-degree domestic assault in the death of Sandra Davis.

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kristina Susan Zeit asked for a life prison term, the maximum, citing “years and years and years of abuse,” and saying Davis has not taken responsibility for anything.

Davis, 56, offered a short, tearful apology to the court before sentencing. He must serve at least 85%, or 28-1/2 years of his sentence before he can be considered for parole.

As we reported earlier, Zeit called Davis “an evil man,” during the closing arguments of the jury trial last month.

“He’s the reason she can’t come in here and tell you what happened,” Zeit told the jury. She scoffed at the notion that Sandra did it to herself, as the defendant asserted.

“She was tired. Tired of being beaten over and over,” Zeit said.