MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas -- A Montgomery County man was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the brutal beating death of his live-in girlfriend.

Jose Garcia-Ticas had earlier pleaded guilty to killing Sabrina Silva, but elected to have a jury impose sentencing for the crime.

Defense attorneys, Bryon Hatchet and Brian Burns, asked the jury to convict him of manslaughter and assess a lesser time in prison.

It took the Montgomery County jury about 30 minutes to assess the maximum sentence in the case.

Prosecutors presented evidence that Garcia-Ticas and Silva were in a relationship for close to five years and that this relationship was one where the victim was subjected to multiple acts of domestic violence.

Garcia-Ticas stabbed Silva multiple times with several knives and beat her with what appeared to be wooden bar stool pieces on Feb. 22, 2209.

The beating lasted for approximately three hours and occurred in several rooms.

The couple had three children, ages 5, 3, and 2, living with them at the time.

The children witnessed the murder and were also covered with their mother's blood.

Prosecutors alleged that the defendant then cleaned things up, put the victim in a car, and drove her down to Houston where he dropped her off at a hospital claiming that she was found that way when he got home.

The defendant later confessed to the crime, prosecutors said.

The medical examiner stated that this was the worst beating victim she had ever seen.

"The imposition of the maximum sentence in this case is more than appropriate in this case. I would like to thank the jury for their service and their quick imposition of this just sentence, " stated District Attorney Brett Ligon.