Former B.C. Lions receiver Josh Boden gets life for murder, no chance of parole for 14 years

A British Columbia judge sentenced a former B.C. Lions wide receiver convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend to life in prison on Friday, with no chance of parole for 14 years.

Joshua Boden was found guilty last fall of second-degree murder in the 2009 death of 33-year-old Kimberly Hallgarth in the Burnaby home she shared with her three-year-old daughter.

Crown prosecutor Brendan McCabe told the court during a sentencing hearing last week that Boden, who is now 35, viciously beat Hallgarth, choked her to death and then staged the scene to make it look like an accident.

McCabe called the murder "blunt, brutal and horrific," saying photos of Hallgarth's injuries were the most shocking he'd seen in his career.

Crown had asked for 15 years of parole ineligibility while Boden's lawyer asked for 12 years.

Boden played for the B.C. Lions in 2007 before being released from the team in 2008 and signing with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, although he never played a regular-season game with that team before he was cut.

McCabe told the court Hallgarth sent photos of her injuries from a previous assault by Boden to then Lions coach Wally Buono, and Boden blamed her for ending his football career.

He has maintained his innocence in her death.