A 70-year-old Philadelphia woman has received a hefty prison sentence for the fatal stabbing of a 31-year-old man with a sword hidden inside a cane. Renee DiPietro was sentenced to 20 to 40 years behind bars on Monday for the third-degree murder of Michael Sides. The incident unfolded outside a bar in Ardmore last June, as reported by NBC Philadelphia.

According to the District Attorney's Office, a previous altercation occurred at a nearby bar wherein Sides’ friend was assaulted by DiPietro's son, Jason. Driven by the urge to confront Jason after this episode, Sides later impeded him from entering his parents' vehicle, which escalated into a physical conflict. The scuffle was recorded by a local business's cameras, which showed DiPietro intervening and using the concealed weapon on Sides, Patch details.

Renee DiPietro, who was a passenger in the white Nissan sedan, was seen on video exiting the car and engaging in the brawl. She dealt the fatal stab to Sides with the cane sword and was observed striking him further as he laid on the ground. Post the altercation, the DiPietros were witnessed driving away from the scene, as the District Attorney's office stated.

In her defense, DiPietro claimed in the court that it was Sides who initiated the violence and that she had no intention of taking his life. Prosecutors, however, argued during the trial that she had left her home armed with a baseball bat and the cane equipped with a blade, suggesting a premeditated intent for retaliation. In the wake of the verdict, DiPietro’s lawyer announced plans to appeal, expressing dissatisfaction with the court's decision. DiPietro conveyed her apologetics to Sides' mother but insisted on her innocence, "No justice. No justice. I apologize for what happened to him, but I did not kill him. I did not take his life. He came at me. And they didn't share that. And the judge I feel like is prejudiced," DiPietro remarked following the sentencing, as KYW Newsradio reported.