In a quiet voice before a silent courtroom, Yu Wei Gong, a Waikiki man who killed his mother in 2016 and then cut up her body and put the pieces in a freezer, said he was ashamed and sorry for what he did, before the judge handed him his sentence in state Circuit Court on Monday afternoon.

“I’m ashamed for what I did,” said Gong. “I’m sorry for what I have done.”

Gong apologized to his family, including his grandmother in China, ending with, “I’m sorry, Mom.”

Gong offered the apology in English, although he had a Mandarin interpreter by his side.

Oahu Circuit Judge Paul B.K. Wong sentenced Gong to 30 years total — 20 years for manslaughter for the death of his mother, Liu Yun Gong, and 10 years for identity theft plus one year for the abuse of a corpse, to be served concurrently.

Gong pleaded guilty in September to the three charges as part of a plea deal, which was agreed upon with Honolulu prosecutors, lessening the potential life sentence that would have resulted from the second-degree murder charge he originally faced.

Deputy Prosecutor Wayne Tashima said he believed Gong’s apology was sincere and that he had written a lengthy letter to the court expressing regret for what he had done. He said he had spoken with a representative of Gong’s family in China about the plea deal and that all parties were satisfied with the terms.

“The family had a lot of impact on the decision we made,” said Tashima. “That’s as much as I can say at this point.”

Tashima said he would recommend no less than 20 years to the parole board.

On April 11, 2017, Gong confessed to police that he had killed his mother seven months earlier at their Launiu Street apartment after an argument, according to court documents. When an officer arrived at the apartment, Gong was outside and bleeding from his left wrist.

He told police his mother was “in the fridge.” The officer opened the freezer and found seven plastic trash bags containing human remains later identified as those of Gong’s mother. The medical examiner’s office concluded she had died from “sustained blunt force injuries” to her head.

Gong had attempted to slash his wrists and commit suicide, according to Tashima.

Reports at the time said Gong had an argument with his mother about school. Gong, 28, is a naturalized U.S. citizen who attended Kapiolani Community College from fall 2011 to spring 2016.

Public defender Darcia Forester said the case has been an immense tragedy for the family.

“Not only has this family lost a daughter, a sister and a mother, but they’ve also basically lost a grandson,” she said in court. “There’s nothing that either I or Yu Wei would be able to say today that would right the wrong that was committed when he took his mother’s life or what happened afterwards. But we believe our plea agreement is fair and more accurate as to what the state of mind was at the time of the offense and, more importantly, it’s a reflection of what the family supports.”

She added that based on accounts from those who knew them, Gong and his mother had a strong bond.

“I want to make it clear that he did love his mother and his mother was a very good mother,” she said. “I’ve read some of the comments made about the case, and we really want to strongly emphasize that Liu Yun Gong was a very good mother who loved her son, and under no circumstances did she deserve what happened.”

For the rest of his life, she added, Gong will live with what he did, which will not be easy for him or his family. She said he continues to feel “very unworthy” of the forgiveness his family has given him.

Wong said there had been much sensational coverage of the case, agreed that the tragedy for the family will continue for a long time, and that he hoped the agreement would help achieve some peace.

Pending the parole board’s decision, the 20 years would have to be served first, followed by the 10 years for the identity theft stemming from Gong’s use of his mother’s bank account after her death. Gong will get credit for time already served.