A retired Toronto police officer who shot his wife to death as she made breakfast was sentenced to serve a total of 15 years before being eligible for parole from his life sentence, a judge has ruled.

Lawrence Kenneth Ryan, 60, has already served two years in custody awaiting trial on a charge of second-degree murder. A jury found him guilty on that charge late last month.

The minimum parole eligibility period for second-degree murder is 10 years.

“The aggravating factors are significant,” Justice Joseph Fragomeni told a Brampton court on Friday, according to the Toronto Star. “This was a domestic murder. She was in her home. She was shot four times at close range.

On Nov. 9, 2008, Ryan approached his wife Susan from behind as she made breakfast. Ryan, who was to leave on a hunting trip that day, used a .22-calibre rifle.

The couple had been married for more than three decades.

Two hours after the shooting, Ryan was found to have a significant amount of alcohol in his system. The Crown argued the drinking came after he shot his wife.

Susan had been a very active member of the community in Mississauga.

A realtor by profession, she had once served as president of the Mississauga Real Estate Board. She counted Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion among her friends.

Victims of crime were among the beneficiaries of her charitable work.

Ryan had last worked in south Etobicoke's 22 Division before ending his police career after 30 years.

He didn't take the stand during the trial, and a motive for the shooting was never made public.

At the time of the murder, friends said they were shocked. One described Lawrence Ryan as a teddy bear of a man.

The couple hosted friends for dinner a few days before the fatal shooting, and no tensions were evident, according to reports from the time.