GRANTS PASS (AP) — The wife and eldest son of a man described as violently abusive were sentenced to prison Thursday after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter for attacking him with a hammer and an ax as he slept.

Josephine County Circuit Judge Michael Newman sentenced Wendy Maldonado, 36, to 10 years and her eldest son, Randall, 17, to more than six years after the prosecution and defense reached a plea bargain where murder charges were reduced to manslaughter.

“This is a fair resolution to a horrible case,’’ Newman said.

Aaron Maldonado was killed May 1, 2005 as he lay in bed in his home outside Grants Pass.

“I saw Aaron hit my mom many times,’’ 13-year-old Tyler Maldonado read from a statement in court. “I also saw him strangle her a lot. He would hit her until it seemed like a human would die from it, but my mom was used to it.

“This is just a small glimpse of what my family had to go through. If you times this by 5 million, you will still not nearly see what we have gone through.’’

Prosecutor Linda Wingenbach said she had no doubt Mrs. Maldonado was the victim of domestic violence, but that did not justify killing her husband.

“This case is a tragedy,’’ she said. “We have a family that is as broken as a family can be broken.’’

Aaron Maldonado’s mother, Georgann Sims, lamented that she would no longer be able to put her arms around her son or have long talks with him about life.

“I will agonize forever over this,’’ she said.

Paul Maldonado, the victim’s brother, said he loved his family and those who killed him would face the wrath of God.

Don Nelson, Wendy Maldonado’s stepfather, described her and her son as “trapped in a box.

“They knew the consequences of trying to get away,’’ he said. “They chose an absolutely horrendous way to get out the box.’’

Information from: Daily Courier, http://www.thedailycourier.com