A 35-year-old man has been given 18 to 36 years in prison for the slaying of his wife at their home in North Platte last year.

At his sentencing on Monday, Rogelio Diaz sobbed and said he had nothing but hate for himself.

Prosecutors say Diaz admitted that he and his wife had been fighting and he had thrown her off a porch in their backyard in June 2011. An autopsy showed Michelle Diaz died of a blow to her head.

Rogelio Diaz originally was first charged with second-degree murder. He made a deal with prosecutors and pleaded no contest to attempted second-degree murder.