A man has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for the manslaughter of Irish woman Sarah McNally at a bar in New York last year.
Marcin Pieciak had been charged with murder, but agreed to plead guilty to first-degree manslaughter last month.
In court, the 38-year-old reaffirmed his guilt and said he accepted the sentence.
He said he had no explanation for his actions, and said he thought about Ms McNally every day and what he had done.
Addressing her family in Ireland, Pieciak said: "I know it's too soon now, but I hope one day for forgiveness."
Sarah McNally, from Longford, was working in the Ceili House Bar in Maspeth, in the borough of Queens.
The 41-year-old had been in a relationship with Pieciak but had ended it and told him that she was returning to Ireland.
On 20 March 2024, Pieciak went to the bar and attacked Ms McNally, who was working at the time.
He stabbed her 19 times, causing severe injury to her neck, back and chest. She suffered damage to her carotid artery and her spine was severed.
Pieciak attempted to stab himself with a second blade he had in his possession but was stopped by patrons in the pub who detained him until police arrived.
In court, he reaffirmed his guilt and accepted the sentence, but said he had no answers for Ms McNally's family.
The prosecutor said the video of the attack was one of the most shocking things he had seen.
Judge Ushir Pandit-Durant agreed that it was one of the most shocking things she has seen in her years on the bench and as an assistant district attorney in the city.
Judge Pandit-Durant pronounced the agreed sentence of 24 years in prison and five years' post-release supervision.
Sarah 'was their future and this had been stolen' - family statement
Ms McNally's family were not in court and the prosecutor read out a victim impact statement on their behalf.
Her parents, Des and Dorrie, said they "had the honour of being Sarah's parents for 41 years".
"Everyone loved" their daughter, she "was their future and this had been stolen from them".
The McNally’s described Sarah as "Des’s pride and joy, his one and only child".
This "bond grew deeper" as she became older, they added, describing her as "the Lisa Marie to his Elvis".
"Sarah and Dorrie shared a unique and close bond" too, the statement said, "like sisters and best friends as well as mother and daughter".
"As a family, we think about Sarah and talk about her every day.
"She was so friendly and kind-hearted to everyone and because of that Sarah had so many friends.
"Every single life Sarah touched, whether you were her parent, aunt, uncle, cousin, her friend, colleague or acquaintance, has been shattered.
"We all thought we would get to see Sarah again, whether that was in Ireland or New York, it is hard to come to terms with the fact we never will.
"Losing Sarah, especially in the circumstances we did, has been the most painful, gut-wrenching thing we have ever experienced and not something we will ever be able to get over.
"We hope no family ever has to go through what we have went through and we pray for those who have," the statement added.
