Randal Hennessey listens as the jury foreman delivers a guilty verdict at the York Judicial Center in Biddeford in July. Hennessey was found guilty of murder in the death of his landlord, Douglas Michaud Jr., in Biddeford in 2021. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer

BIDDEFORD — A Biddeford man was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of killing his landlord.

Randal J. Hennessey shot Douglas Michaud Jr., 31, multiple times on the front porch of Michaud’s building on Union Street in 2021. Michaud’s partner has said that he was trying to evict Hennessey from his apartment after a disagreement.

Superior Court Justice Richard Mulhern said Hennessey lied on the stand about acting in self-defense and agreed with prosecutors that Michaud’s death was an “execution.”

“He seemed to place himself as the victim,” Mulhern said. “He seemed to join his family and Mr. Michaud’s family as, somehow, co-victims, but he should not do that. He alone is responsible for the loss the Michaud family has suffered.”

Hennessey was convicted after a trial this summer and appeared in York County Superior Court on Wednesday to be sentenced.

Michaud’s family and friends filled half of the courtroom benches. Many wore customized black T-shirts in a tribute to the life of “Dougie.” Family members who spoke pleaded for Hennessey to be given a life sentence.

Jamie Wakefield, Michaud’s partner, told the court about how he was shot right in front of her when she was pregnant with their baby boy, who is now almost 3 years old. She said Michaud was excited to be a father and fantasized about bringing his son to car shows and on Sunday breakfast dates.

Wakefield said she often thinks of the day she will have to tell her son what happened to his father.

“Give me the chance to tell him that justice was served,” she said, asking the judge to impose a life sentence.

As Mulhern read the sentence, a sigh of relief could be heard from Michaud’s friends and family.

Hennessey, wearing a suit and royal blue button-down shirt, sat quietly beside his attorney. He addressed the court after the family members spoke, turning around only once to look at Wakefield and apologize to her.

He said he was panicked and distraught over the thought of losing his apartment and being homeless.

“I’m sorry you were all alone at times,” he said. “I’ll never forgive myself for what our families have had to go through. I am not a monster or a bad person. I’m a father that will always worry for my children.”

‘MORE FAITH IN HUMANITY’

Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Ackerman asked Mulhern to impose a life sentence, listing various aggravating factors that would earn Hennessey life in prison. She said the murder was premeditated because Hennessey wanted to seek payback for the eviction. During the shooting, Hennessey had left his 9-year-old daughter in the apartment, Ackerman said.

Hennessey’s attorney, George Hess, asked Mulhern to consider a sentence of no more than 50 years, citing other murder cases and sharing stories of Hennessey’s rocky childhood which affected his mental health. He said Hennessey had an abusive father who died by suicide and Hennessey was kicked out of the house at 16 years old.

Mulhern said many people have difficult upbringings, but don’t commit murder. He called Hennessey’s statement on Wednesday “self-serving” and lacking remorse.

Hennessey rejected at least two plea deals before trial, including an offer that would have capped his prison sentence at 47 years. After the jury found him guilty of murder, Mulhern also ruled that Hennessey was guilty of possessing a gun as a prohibited person. His sentence on that charge is five years, concurrent with the life sentence.

When he took the stand in June, Hennessey claimed he shot in self-defense after Michaud lunged at him. This contradicted testimony from other witnesses. Mulhern said that testimony was false because autopsy results showed no evidence of movement when Michaud was shot five times in the back and once in the back of the head.

After the hearing, Michaud’s friends and family lined the hallways outside of the courtroom, cheering, embracing and clapping for Ackerman. They pulled out more T-shirts honoring Michaud from a cardboard box to give to supporters.

Wakefield said she’s happy with the sentence and now has “a little bit more faith in humanity.” Her sister agreed. “Don’t be afraid to fight the good fight,” Megan Wakefield said.