UPDATED: Man Given 8-20 Years for Fatal Drug Deal

An Epping man who admittedly provided the liquid methadone that later killed an Exeter woman was sentenced to eight to 20 years in prison Friday morning in Rockingham Superior Court.

Lorant Diosi, 27, was sentenced following tearful statements from his family and that of his victim, Danielle Rock, 26, who was found unresponsive in her Exeter home on May 30, 2010, and later died of acute methadone intoxication.

Diosi himself showed Friday what Judge Tina Nadeau called "sincere" and "genuine" remorse while apologizing for his actions, for which he had already taken responsibility through a guilty plea in August.

"I want the family to know I really am sorry," Diosi, who had what appeared to be a black teardrop tattoo below his left eye, said in court Friday. "If there is anything I can do, I would take it back in a heartbeat. [But] I can't. I think about it every single night... It kills me every single night."

Diosi was sentenced Friday on one count of dispensing a controlled drug to another individual, resulting in a death.

Assistant County Attorney Brian Lee requested a 10- to 20-year sentence, citing that the defendant's "callous" actions and text messages sent to the victim on the day of her death reflected those of a "dealer," not a friend.

"Callous is an understatement," said Lee, who admitted that Diosi's intent wasn't to kill Rock. "He knew Danielle had not spent years in a clinic building a defense to it. Her body was not familiar with it, and he just didn’t care, even when she asked him if she would overdose. He just just told her not to 'blow everything out of proportion,' and just to take another 'pin.'"

Lee said his sentence recommendation took into account the fact that Diosi took responsibility for his actions through his guilty plea.

He said, though, that there are many "aggravating" factors — like Diosi's drug history, probation violations, driving while intoxicated convictions, and his efforts to "cheat" the methadone clinic where he obtained the drug that killed Rock — that should be taken into account and used as the basis for a strong sentence that "sends a message."

Timothy Harrington, Diosi's attorney, refuted the notion that Diosi acted callously or as a dealer, stating that both Rock and Diosi had made several arrangements to exchange drugs or money for drugs from the other person.

He also contended that several text messages Diosi sent to Rock showed that Diosi acted as a friend or aquaintance, and said he even sent texts to check in on Rock after learning Rock took a dosage meant to be shared between her and her husband.

"My client is not the callous person the state is trying to make out in this case," said Harrington, calling for a sentence between 5 and 15 years. "He didn't turn a blind eye.

"My client wasn’t giving her the entire amount. [It was not meant as] a 'massive dose.'”

Nadeau took a 10 minute recess before coming back with her decision, which she said was based on Diosi's history, the state's "compelling argument" about Diosi's intent, Diosi's remorse, remarks by the families, and the various details in the files submitted by the .

"It gives me insight to how to do my job, but it’s very difficult to look at the given case and decide something that would bring a measure of peace to someone," said Nadeau. "That's not going to happen."

Nadeau said, though, she saw a minimum of eight years and a maximum of 20 as an "appropriate" sentence given the circumstance.

Linda Martin, Rock's mother, said she didn't "believe Mr. Diosi should do life in prison" for helping cause the death of her daughter, whom she described Friday as "caring," "compassionate" and "non-judgmental."

While she did ask for a "sufficient" sentence like the one given to Diosi Friday, Martin said there is "no winner" in the situation because her "broken heart still keeps beating."

"Mr. Diosi, I don't hate you — I hate the fact that my daughter met you," a tearful Martin told the defendant in court. "[I hope a lengthy sentence will] save another brother, sister, mother, father and child from knowing this grief."

Diosi's sister, Rachel, and mother, Sally, also made tearful statements in court Friday while describing a man they saw as a "changed" person who acted out of a "deep need" to earn respect and acceptance that "sometimes gets in the way of making good decisions."

"He is not a malicious person," said Sally Diosi. "He's never done anything, to my knowledge, in his life in a malicious way. My husband, daughter and I, and Lorant, were devastated about Danielle's death, and we grieve for her and her family."

Lorant Diosi was also assessed a $1,000 fine Friday, and Nadeau ordered him to undergo substance abuse treatment "if recommended by the department of corrections" and "participate meaningfully" in counseling.

Diosi was transported back to the Rockingham County Department of Corrections following Friday's sentencing hearing.