By Scott Brinton
The sentencing follows Forbes's manslaughter conviction in June. She faced a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison for her husband's death.
In court, Forbes claimed that she strangled her husband in self-defense. She said he attacked her while she slept, and she then turned the tables on him, strangling him in an act of desperation.
The jury, however, needed only two hours to find her guilty of manslaughter. The Forbeses were married eight weeks at the time of Michael's death. According to a published report, she had taken a lover shortly after marrying Michael.
Kelly Forbes's defense team noted that Michael had been convicted of rape and attempted murder, and had served time in prison. His family, however, said that he had straightened his life out after completing his prison term and had become a successful businessman.
"The jury saw through the defendant's story, and a judge sentenced her to serve a lengthy and justified term in upstate prison," Rice said in a prepared statement.
At Kelly's sentencing, Michael Forbes' mother and 15-year-old daughter spoke before Nassau County Court Judge Jerald Carter. Assistant District Attorney Michael Canty prosecuted the case.
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