A Brooklyn Park man has been given a 15-year term for murdering his girlfriend during what he said was rough sex, the Hennepin County attorney's office announced Wednesday.

Toby N. Clarke, 38, pleaded guilty in August to second-degree unintentional murder in the death of his girlfriend, Krista Mae Ambers, 36, also of Brooklyn Park.

With credit for time already served in jail since his arrest, Clarke will serve a little more than nine years in prison and then the balance of his sentence on supervised release.

About 3 a.m. on Aug. 5, 2015, Clarke called 911 to report that Ambers was unconscious. Police found Ambers in her home with bruises on her arms and neck, and she was unconscious. An autopsy determined that she died from strangulation.

Clarke, who was at the home when police arrived, first told police that they were only friends but then revealed they had been in a relationship for three years and that he choked her during rough sex.

At sentencing Tuesday afternoon, the courtroom was crowded with Ambers' family members as well as Clarke's. Four victim-impact statements were given, including one from Amber's mother, Carol, and also a co-worker from Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, where Amber worked for 15 years.

Clarke, who has a history of domestic abuse charges and also had an order for protection filed against him, addressed the court and both families, saying he was sorry for the pain he has caused.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482