The Saratoga Springs man who admitted to killing his ex-girlfriend was sentenced on Thursday to 23 years to life in prison.

Sebastian Mabb, 31, had pleaded guilty in Saratoga County Court in June to second-degree murder in the death of Brianna Craig, 25, back in February. Mabb smothered her with a pillow at her Saratoga Springs home.

Craig had an order of protection barring Mabb from contacting her because of a history of domestic violence.

Many of Craig’s family members were in the courtroom wearing “Justice for Brianna” shirts. Two of them spoke during sentencing.

Stepfather Bryan Hyde said Mabb has shown no remorse for taking the life of Craig, who was a mother, sister, granddaughter and daughter.

“A mother is supposed to remember their child’s first breath and not their last,” he said.

Her sister, Keaira Konifka, said she is not the same person as she was 7 months ago. Her way of looking at the world has changed. She said that Mabb made a conscious choice to take a life. It cannot be blamed on “evil” or the “devil.”

She said her family’s grief will live on.

“It will burrow its way into our bones and encode itself in our DNA – only to be passed on,” she said.

Assistant District Attorney Rachael Phelan said Mabb has not taken responsibility for what he did. He had admitted that he wanted Craig out of the picture so his current wife could adopt the child that they shared.  He told several people he was going to kill Craig.

Mabb told police several different false stories – they got into a fight, and he pushed her, causing her to fall and hit her head on a nightstand. He claimed she had labored breathing when she left. Mabb claimed that he had been attacked. He also said that he blacked out.

“His story is always evolving and changing — never actually admitting the conduct of murdering Brianna,” Phelan said.

When asked if he wanted to make a statement, Mabb pulled a piece of paper from his shirt pocket and proceeded to speak as if someone else had killed Craig.

“I have not slept restfully through a single night since this nightmare started on that fateful day we lost Brianna,” he said.

Mabb also said a part of himself died that night when he heard the news that she was gone.

Earlier in the proceedings, Judge Jim Murphy had made Mabb plead again because of statements he made during the pre-sentence report regarding what he claimed happened.

Before delivering sentence, Murphy said Mabb’s statement in court was the most “disingenuous version of events” he has ever heard, especially the part about not being able to sleep.

“How do you think the people behind you have felt since you murdered her? I bet they’ve had a couple nights without sleep as well and I think that’s the least of their problems,” he said.

“The lack of remorse, the failure to grasp the gravity of your conduct, the blaming of everybody else, except for you, speaks volume as to the kind of person you are,” he said.