ALFRED (AP) – A Sanford man charged with murder in a stabbing outside a convenience store in 2007 has been handed a 20-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

The plea deal was finalized Thursday when 22-year-old Joshua Stewart appeared in York County Superior Court.

Stewart was accused of killing 21-year-old Alan Bennison of Sanford early on the morning of Jan. 24, 2007, after an argument in the parking lot of the Airport Variety Store.

The victim’s family objected to the plea agreement, saying Stewart’s sentence was too lenient.

AP-ES-04-17-08 1852EDT