A Chelsea man was sentenced to life in prison today following his conviction for the second-degree murder of retired Cambridge Police Officer Myles “Tony” Lawton and the attempted murder of a second man who survived a drug deal gone bad in Lawton’s Florida Street home, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced.

Assistant District Attorney David Fredette recommended that MICHAEL “GOODY” COLLINS (D.O.B. 11/5/79) begin serving his mandatory life term for Lawton’s murder only after he completed a 15- to 20-year prison sentence for the attempted murder of the surviving victim.

“We recommended consecutive prison terms not just because of the nature of the crimes but also because of the man who committed them,” Conley said. “This defendant is 29 years old. You can’t find a year since his childhood in which he wasn’t arrested, convicted, or serving time for a criminal offense. We believe that society would best be protected by lengthy, consecutive prison terms.”

Judge Raymond Brassard did not impose consecutive terms, ordering a 15- to 20-year term for attempted murder to run concurrent with his sentence for second-degree murder, which will make him eligible for parole after 15 years.

Suffolk prosecutors proved during the four-week trial that Collins had promised to sell the surviving victim two kilograms of cocaine in exchange for $40,000. The exchange was to take place on Dec. 5 at Lawton’s home.

When Collins arrived for the deal, however, he instead brought a handgun. When he began to leave with the money, he and Lawton became engaged in a struggle and he shot Lawton in the head, killing him. Collins then turned the gun on the surviving victim and shot him three times in the chest before fleeing.

When Boston Police arrived on the scene moments later, the first words out of the surviving victim’s mouth were “Goody shot me.”

Prior to sentencing, members of Lawton’s family addressed the court to tell of what they had lost when Lawton was slain.

Among them was Myles Lawton, Jr., now a Boston Police officer, who said, “I’ve been waiting years for this day to come. I thought it would be a victory … but there’s nothing to celebrate.”

His father, he said, “served his country. He served the City of Cambridge. And he inspired me to serve the City of Boston.”

“I ask that you keep [Collins] incarcerated for his remaining life,” Alisha Lawton, the victim’s daughter, said to Brassard. “He is a ruthless robber … He is a sex offender, as demonstrated by his criminal record, and should never be around anybody’s child or young adult. He is a murderer … He is an arrogant, pompous piece of scum.”

Collins was represented at trial by attorney Rosemary Scappicio.