Fifty three-year-old Frederick Barberi, who carried out a series of convenience store robberies with his son, Jason Barberi, was sentenced to 10 years in prison today in New London Superior Court.

“Your honor, I can’t explain how sorry I am for my actions,” Barberi said before Judge Susan B. Handy imposed the sentence. “I’m not going to make any excuses.”

But he did say that he had been married for 32 years, gainfully employed since 1976, and that he has been incarcerated since November 2011, which enabled him to clear his system of the pain medication to which he had become addicted after a back injury.

Prosecutor David J. Smith had recommended a 15-year sentence, based on the egregious nature of the crimes, but the judge reduced the sentence by five years after listening to arguments from defense attorney Matthew G. Berger and reading a presentencing investigation by a probation officer that recommended a “moderate” prison sentence.

Police said the pair went on a six-day robbery spree, holding up area stores each day beginning Nov. 5, 2011. The son’s weapon of choice was a taped table leg that had been fashioned into a club, according to court testimony. The father used a box cutter or a knife. In the most egregious case, Smith said Frederick Barberi held a knife to a clerk’s throat at the Cumberland Farms in Baltic.

“For much of his life, he had an unblemished but long history of hard work,” said Berger. Barberi, of Preston, suffered a serious back injury at work and was unable to continue working, he said. He became addicted to pain medication.

“He’s genuinely remorseful for this,” Berger said. “These offenses were wrong. I don’t think they merit 15 years given the life Fred has led.”

Jason Barberi was sentenced in February to 10 years in prison.

The judge told Barberi that he is a contradiction to her, “a normal person going about his business,” who made the leap into robbing convenience stores. She said that as the father, he should have stopped the crime spree. One of the clerks was so terrified she “can barely get to work on a daily basis,” the judge said.

“Do I think you can become again a productive member of society? Yes I do,” the judge said. “But there’s a significant price to be paid, and I’m going to impose it today.”

Barberi’s full sentence is 20 years in prison, suspended after 10 years served followed by three years probation.