A Hudson Bay, Sask., man pleaded guilty and was sentenced Wednesday for the fatal shooting of his ex-wife.

Steven Lewis entered the second-degree murder plea in Melfort Provincial Court before a judge sentenced him to life in prison with no chance of parole for 22 years.

Court heard, on Feb. 3 of this year, he shot Stacey Lewis several times through a screen-door window as she was ringing the doorbell. She was picking up their nine-year-old daughter, who was in the house. Their four-year-old son was in the car.

Steven then walked over to the RCMP detachment and turned himself in right after the shooting, court heard.

The daughter said in a victim impact statement “she feared she was going to be next,” and Stacey’s sister-in-law said the whole family has been impacted by the event. The boy draws pictures of a monster with a gun and he fears being left alone in the car. The daughter blames herself for what happened because her mother was picking her up the day of the murder, the sister-in-law said.

The judge said he settled for the 22-year parole eligibility — instead of the 25-year maximum — because Steven took immediate responsibility for his actions.

Steven’s defence lawyer spoke Wednesday on his behalf, apologizing to Stacey’s family and children and explaining to the court Steven has been suffering from major depression for years. He felt like he was about to lose his family, his lawyer said.

He pleaded guilty to spare his daughter from reliving the events of the killing, according to his lawyer.