OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha man convicted of manslaughter in the fatal attack of a 76-year-old woman has been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.

A judge on Friday sentenced 54-year-old John Gomez to seven to 10 years in prison in the death of Mary McAndrews. He pleaded no contest in February.

Police say Gomez pushed and struck McAndrews on Sept. 18 after she confronted him about rent he owed her and items taken from her house. She died at an Omaha hospital on Oct. 15.

Under state law, manslaughter denotes the death of another during a sudden argument.

Gomez’s attorney read a written statement from her client during the sentencing hearing Friday, in which he apologized for McAndrews’ death and said he was “ashamed.”