The two men who have admitted to beating a Carcross hotelier to death presented their proposed plea agreement to a judge earlier this week in Whitehorse.

Dean Boucher and Mark Lange were in court Wednesday for sentencing hearings after having pleaded guilty to manslaughter last year.

Both men insist they have changed since beating and robbing Robert Olson and dumping his body in a ditch near Whitehorse just before Christmas 2004.

Crown prosecutors had been seeking a long-term offender status for both men.

That designation would have allowed for more strict conditions once the pair is released.

However, a forensic psychiatrist who completed reports on the pair, said that was not necessary.

The doctor said both men are at "moderate to low” risk to reoffend, the court heard.

Boucher and Lange have been in custody since late December 2004.

Both were originally convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life behind bars on Aug. 31, 2006.

Boucher was given no chance of parole for 15 years, while Lange would have to wait 10 years.

The pair appealed the decision and, on May 17, 2011, were granted a new trial on the basis that the jury in the original trial had not been given proper instructions.

In early November 2011, after lengthy discussions with the Crown, the men agreed to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

In a joint submission to the Yukon Supreme Court, Crown and defence lawyers are asking for a sentence of 12 years for Boucher's manslaughter conviction.

With credit for time served, that means Boucher would have slightly less than three years left on his sentence.

Lawyers are proposing a sentence of nine years and four months for Lange, meaning he would have about three months left to serve. That would be followed by a 15-month period of probation.

Crown prosecutor John Phelps noted that Boucher both initiated the attack on Olson and inflicted the final blows.

It is now up to Supreme Court Justice Ron Veale to decide whether to accept the agreement. He is scheduled to make his ruling next week.

Both men say they have learned lessons from their time behind bars and have taken full advantage of the programs that were available to them.

Boucher, now 39, said he would like to become a drug and alcohol counsellor.

He told the court he has already been accepted into a program starting this September.

Whether he could get parole in time to attend that program is a decision for federal parole authorities.

Boucher credits the elders he worked with while in custody with helping him change.

"My culture has literally saved my life and opened my eyes,” he said.

Boucher blamed alcohol for much of what happened the night he and Lange struck Olson a total of 15 times.

He said he has been sober for the last five years.

"We're both good men, we've always been good men when we're sober,” Boucher said. "We're sitting here because we were drunk that night.”

A victim impact statement written by Olson's sister in 2006 was also read out loud in the court.

Lorraine Olson called her brother a deep thinker and caring man who was planning on selling his hotel to spend more time with family members.

She said she is haunted by the thought of her brother "lying frozen in a ditch with his head smashed in.”

Boucher said Olson was a good man who once, after meeting Boucher's new baby, told him he had a chance to change the way people viewed him and be a good father.

"I would like to say to Ms. Olson that his words are in my heart now, and I'm going to be a healthy person and father and try and make the best of my life.”

Boucher said he recognizes his community may be skeptical of his change.

"Those few minutes blacked out drunk is not who I am or who I will ever be,” he said. "I need a chance to show that to my community.”

In his hearing Wednesday afternoon, Lange, 36, said he completed his high school education in custody as well as a number of other programs.

He said he would like the chance to help young people who are heading toward a criminal lifestyle.

"I've drank, done drugs and lived a criminal lifestyle for a long time,” he said. "Kids who are heading down the same path I did will listen to me.”

Lange said he kept a copy of Olson's sister's victim impact statement on the wall in his cell.

"I didn't want to forget why I was there.”

Lange said he used alcohol and drugs to suppress his emotions, but has now learned better ways.

"I don't have the words to apologize.”