ALFRED, Maine (AP) A Maine man convicted of murdering his grandmother and setting fire to her house is arguing for a lighter sentence, with his attorney arguing the crime wasn’t “the worst of the worst.”

Twenty-nine-year-old Derek Poulin is asking the court to reduce his life sentence. The Journal Tribune reports Poulin’s attorney was in court in Alfred to make arguments Tuesday.

Poulin was convicted of murdering his 61-year-old grandmother, Patricia Noel, by beating her with a golf club and stabbing her 70 times before burning her home.

Nielsen argues the sentence is unfair because of his client’s age of 23 at the time of the crime.

State prosecutors countered by saying that it’s unfair that Noel is dead, and noting Poulin would have likely received the death penalty in other states.