George Cousins pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and possesion of a weapon during the commission of a crime, Thursday morning.
Circuit Court Judge Paul Burch sentenced Cousins to a maximum prison for 30 years.
In July of 2010, Cousins shot his girlfriend, Tammy Locklear Norris, 42, at a home in McColl.
Extra deputies and police officers were in court for Cousins' sentencing after he was attacked by Norris' relatives at a bond hearing in August of 2010.
Deputies arrested two men for assaulting Cousins.
There were no problems at the sentencing Thursday, according to court officials.
Prosecutors say after Cousins shot Norris, he cleaned up the crime scene and placed her bloody clothes inside a utility barn near the home.
Cousins went back inside the home and realized Norris was still breathing, so he called 911.
She died at a Charlotte hospital the next day.
Deputies were able to get the bloody clothes out of the barn.
The barn mysteriously burned days later and remains an unsolved arson.
Cousins must serve 85% of his sentence before he's eligible for parole.
