AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A Maine woman who acknowledged shooting her husband in the back with a 12-gauge shotgun says she still loves her husband, who says he’s forgiven her for the shooting and still loves her too.

Sixty-two-year-old Sally Ann Earl-Costello apologized Thursday at her sentencing in Augusta, saying she was deeply remorseful for the shooting. The Kennebec Journal reports Earl-Costello was sentenced to five years in prison with 15 years suspended.

Her husband of 38 years, 82-year-old Hugh Costello, was present for the hearing and says he’s forgiven her and wants contact with his wife. Costello says his wife was drunk when she shot him in the back in May 2017.

The judge agreed to allow written contact between the couple, but says prison administrators could decide against that.

(Copyright (c) 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox