A man who broke into a Halifax home and tried to abduct the homeowner on two separate occasions has been sentenced to prison.

Aaron Patrick MacDonald expressed remorse as he appeared in Halifax provincial court on Friday and apologized for breaking into the home in October 2012.

The 20-year-old Dartmouth man was sentenced to 5.5 years in a federal prison, minus two years for time already served.

“It’s an appropriate outcome, given the seriousness of the offences themselves,” says Crown prosecutor Rick Woodburn.

Homeowner Brad Langille found MacDonald inside his Oakland Road residence on Oct. 16, 2012. MacDonald was wearing a mask and threatened Langille at gunpoint. He took off before police arrived.

Six days later, MacDonald returned to the home. Private security guards found him, detained him, and called police.

According to victim impact statements read in court, the incident has been traumatizing for the Langilles and their three young children, who stayed in a hotel after the break-in.

“We tried to take them home after a couple of days but they cried and said they were scared,” said Langille’s wife Kelly d’Eon in a statement read in court.

Langille says he has empathy for MacDonald, but the incident still haunts him to this day.

“Those 10 seconds of fleeing from an armed suspect have been the source of countless nightmares,” said Langille in a victim impact statement.

The defence says MacDonald had a difficult childhood and a forensic psychiatrist testified that he suffers from severe depression.

“We’ve looked at deterrents, both specific and general. We’ve looked at rehabilitation, we’ve looked at the background,” says defence lawyer David Bright.

“We’ve all expressed concerns for the Langilles and it seemed to be in the middle of the range if you will of what might be given.”

“The families themselves have been worried about whether or not he was going to recommit these particular offences, both his family and the victims,” says Woodburn.

MacDonald told his lawyer he targeted the Langille’s residence because he thought it was a “neat-looking house.”

MacDonald is also banned from owning weapons for the rest of his life.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Alyse Hand