Heather Sunshine Glennon, 49, who was originally charged with second-degree murder, had pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of first-degree assault.

“She certainly did not intend to kill anybody,” said her attorney, Gerald Johnson. “She’s very remorseful for what happened here. She knows what a horrible effect alcohol has, how it pretty much destroyed her life.”

Glennon was sitting in front of McDonald’s in Lahaina and sharing a bottle of vodka with 51-year-old Christopher Flanagan and two others the night of Feb. 2, 2020, when she and Flanagan got into an argument. Witnesses said Glennon hit Flanagan on the head with the vodka bottle and continued hitting him after he collapsed.

The homeless man was transported to Maui Memorial Medical Center, where he died two days later.

“I just want to say sorry this happened,” Glennon said in court.

A plea agreement between the defense and prosecution recommended the 10-year prison term.

In imposing the sentence, 2nd Circuit Judge Kirstin Hamman said she believed Glennon was the person her family wrote about in letters to the court.

“They describe you as having a contagious smile and laugh,” Hamman said. “You bring sunshine to people’s lives. They describe you as a wonderful mother, grandmother, sister. It’s clear that you are very loved by your family.

“It’s just mind boggling how that person turns into the one who basically was a menace to the community.”

Glennon’s criminal history includes alcohol-related convictions for disorderly conduct, criminal trespassing and open lewdness in both Hawaii and other states, Hamman said.

She said a report prepared for Glennon’s sentencing said she suffered from post traumatic stress disorder after suffering trauma and “serious losses, heartbreaking losses.”

When she was arrested, Glennon was drinking a gallon of vodka a day and living on the streets, according to the report.

Hamman said “the saddest thing” was the limited information about Flanagan.

“The only thing I know about him is he’s probably like you,” she said. “He probably at some point was a young man with a lot of potential. He also probably suffered from some kind of trauma.

“Unfortunately, he doesn’t get a second chance. You get a second chance. You owe it to Mr. Flanagan to live a sober life and to better yourself. You owe it to him to be better and go help others that are in the same situation.”

* Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.