ALFRED — After listening to emotional statements on Monday, Justice Roland A. Cole sentenced Rory Holland to two life sentences ”“ one each for the two brothers he was convicted of killing.

The crowd of family and friends of the murder victims, who gathered in the courtroom of the York County Superior Courthouse in Alfred, erupted in applause when Justice Cole pronounced his sentence.

“I am ecstatic. I got what I wanted,” said Tammy Cole, the mother of murder victims Derek Greene, 21 and Gage Greene, 19. “They (the brothers) can now rest in peace.”

In November, Holland, 57, of Biddeford, was found guilty of two counts of murder for the shooting deaths of the two young men, also of Biddeford, on June 30, 2009.

After the sentencing, friends and relatives of the victims were jubilant as they gathered outside the courthouse and hugged one another.

The two life sentences, said Tammy Cole, give equal justice for the death of each of her sons. She said she wanted this maximum sentence not only for herself, but also for her sons’ friends, who witnessed the murders ”“ to help them heal.

With Holland spending the rest of his life in prison, she said, Biddeford and the surrounding area will be safer.

Prior to Holland’s sentencing, Cole was joined by friends of the Greene brothers, in giving emotional testimony as they discussed how the loss of the men has affected them.

Britany Frisco told the court of the fun and friendly teenagers who were like big brothers to her. She said she is devastated by their deaths.

Eli Copeland talked about the good times he had with the men. When he saw Derek Greene get shot, he said, he felt like his heart had been “ripped out.”

Laura Kimball, friend of Tammy Cole, described the crying, shock and turmoil she witnessed by Derek and Gage Greene’s friends and relatives after the shootings.

Finally, the mother talked about her sons, and the effect of their death on her.

Derek liked to skateboard, said Tammy Cole, and her younger son, Gage, liked school and sports.

“He was a great catcher for his team,” she said.

“They were both very funny and friendly with everyone,” said the mother. They were inseparable, she said.

Cole said she has been devastated by her sons’ deaths. She rarely leaves her house, sees a therapist weekly, and suffers from depression and panic attacks for which she takes medication.

“My heart is broken and cannot be fixed,” she said.

When asking the judge to give Holland two life sentences, Assistant Attorney General Lisa Marchese, who prosecuted the case, said there were a number of reasons why he deserved such a sentence.

The deaths were premeditated, she said, there were multiple deaths, and Holland had a lengthy criminal record, which included the attempted death of his young daughter when he lived in Kansas.

Also, said Marchese, Holland has shown no remorse and has not accepted responsibility for his crime.

In the courtroom Monday, Holland continued to deny responsibility for the brothers’ deaths, as he spoke about the case for the first time and discussed what a life sentence would mean to him.

In fact, he claimed he didn’t kill Derek Greene, saying testimony by the prosecution’s witnesses proved he didn’t do it.

He didn’t murder the brothers, said Holland, because, as his attorneys had argued during the trial, he acted in self-defense.

On the night of the shootings, he said, the Greene brothers and their friends were drunk and angry, acting like a “pack of wolves” and looking for a fight.

He was the victim, said Holland, on that fateful summer night.

Justice Cole didn’t agree, however. In his understanding of the evidence, he said, Holland committed premeditated murder.

“We know he intended to kill those two,” said Justice Cole. “Clearly, he was not acting in self-defense.”

Holland’s past criminal convictions, his apparent lack of remorse and his unwillingness to take responsibility for his crimes were among the factors he took into account when determining the defendant’s fate, said Justice Cole.

Holland can appeal both the verdict and/or his sentence.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.