Maine student hostage-taker sentenced to 35 years

BELFAST, Maine – A Maine man convicted of taking a fifth-grade class hostage at gunpoint has been sentenced to 35 years in prison.

The sentence was handed down Monday after Randall Hofland spent two hours seeking a lighter prison term. He said he'll appeal.

Hofland represented himself during his trial, in which jurors rejected an insanity defense. They found him guilty of 39 charges, including kidnapping and criminal threatening and restraint.

The Searsport man was accused of holding 11 children at gunpoint on Oct. 31, 2008. He was eventually tackled by a state police trooper. No children were hurt.