The Associated Press

Fri, Nov 7, 2008 (10:21 a.m.)

A Tennessee man convicted in the fatal shooting of his teacher wife's student lover will spend most of a four-year sentence on probation, with a judge on Friday ordering him to serve 47 days in jail.

Eric McLean, 33, faced life in prison when he was tried for murder in the 2007 slaying of 18-year-old Sean Powell, the lover of his now ex-wife, Erin McLean. But a Knox County jury in September convicted him of the lesser charge of reckless homicide.

Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz sentenced McLean to the maximum four years, but allowed probation for all but the first month and a half of it.

McLean admitted shooting Powell but said it was an accident. The divorced couple are now fighting over custody of their two young sons.

Erin McLean was 29 when she met Powell in fall 2006 while student teaching at West High School in Knoxville.

Eric McLean testified at his trial that he came home on March 10, 2007, and found his wife and Powell having sex.

He testified he called police to report an intruder, but said Powell agreed to leave and he told police he no longer needed them.

When the teen remained outside in his car, McLean said he took a rifle he planned to use to kill himself, walked to Powell's car and aimed it at him.

He said when the teen reached for the gun, it discharged, killing him instantly.

Prosecutors had sought a murder conviction with a life sentence.