A jury has found Nicholas Butcher guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Montreal-born yoga instructor Kristin Johnston.
Butcher was charged with second-degree murder after the body of Johnston was found inside her Halifax-area home on March 26, 2016.
The Crown had argued that Butcher deliberately killed Johnston, but the defence said Butcher was acting in self-defence.
In his closing arguments, defence lawyer Peter Planetta told the jury that Butcher did not intend to kill Johnston.
Planetta said Johnston got a knife as Butcher slept and stabbed him in the neck, and that he was acting in self-defence when he fought back.
Crown lawyer Carla Ball argued Butcher killed Johnston after realizing their relationship was deteriorating.
Ball suggested Butcher stabbed Johnston to death and then tried to kill himself with the same knife before cutting off his right hand with a mitre saw.