Raleigh ? A bank executive who said he had battled depression for years was sentenced Friday to life in prison for killing his 5-year-old twin daughters.

David Crespi, 45, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder to spare his family the trauma of a trial and possible death penalty. He has a wife, Kim, and three surviving children.

In court, Crespi apologized to his family and his late daughters, Samantha and Tessara, saying the girls “deserved to grow up” and be loved.

Crespi told police that in his periods of depression, he thought of killing his children, wife and parents or running over strangers with his car, but he always had been able to stop himself. The day he killed the twins, he said, “the thoughts weren’t stopping.”