PORTLAND – A Portland man has been handed a 37-year prison sentence for the beating death of his one-time girlfriend, a crime that exposed holes in the state’s system for protecting victims of domestic violence.

Gregory Erskine, 51, was found guilty by a jury in January of murdering Lisa Deprez after a drunken argument on May 13, 2004, just days after he was released from jail on $200 bail and ordered to stay away from her.

In pronouncing sentence Thursday in Cumberland County Superior Court, Justice Robert Crowley said Erskine did not appear to accept responsibility for his actions despite a tearful courtroom apology to the victim’s family.

Prosecutors characterized the case as one of ongoing domestic abuse that ended in tragedy. Erskine covered Deprez’s mouth to keep her from screaming and struck her on the head with a hammer. She was unconscious when police arrived and died two days later.

Murder in Maine is punishable by 25 years to life in prison, and the victim’s relatives said they were pleased with the sentence.

“That is awesome,” Charlotte Kenney, Deprez’s sister, said after sentencing.

“Lisa,” she said, looking toward the courthouse ceiling, “you can rest in peace now.”

Erskine’s mother, Helen Rice, appealed to the judge for leniency. She said Erskine had tried to help Deprez but was under a lot of pressure from debts and was struggling with “booze and drugs.”

“If he did what he did, he didn’t know it,” she said. “He didn’t mean it.”

Erskine spoke, too, turning from Crowley to face Deprez’s family members and sobbing.

“Many times I wanted to sit down and write you a letter,” he said. “I couldn’t find the words to put in it. I want you to believe how sorry I am that this happened. I don’t know how this ever happened.”