On Tuesday the judge ordered that Peter Joseph 'JP' Maloney serve a further two years probation on his release to keep him from returning to crime.
A murder charge had been withdrawn when Maloney, from Drumarg Park in Armagh, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 45-year-old Victor Stewart.
The Armagh man also admitted stealing a safe from the dairy farmer's isolated Creevekeeran Road home in Middletown on the main Armagh to Monaghan road on a date unknown between October 19 and 23 in 2008.
Newry Crown Court Judge Kevin Finnegan QC said that the very moving victim impact reports from Mr Stewart's family paid testimony to their continuing nightmare at their cruel and tragic loss of their youngest brother.
Judge Finnegan said one of the aggravating features of his death was that it occurred during a violent robbery and that Mr Stewart was a vulnerable man who was left to die in his isolated home by the robbers.
The judge added that it was accepted that Maloney was not armed nor had anticipated the level of violence which led to Mr Stewart's death.
He also accepted he played no physical role in delivery the fatal blow.
Judge Finnegan said while Maloney's guilty pleas were not made at the first opportunity, he would give him credit for them nonetheless, and that credit would also be given for his remorse, which was likely to be genuine as it was first seen in the immediate aftermath of Mr Stewart's killing.
Police were initially anonymously tipped off about Maloney's involvement by his estranged wife within months of the killing.
She later agreed to record a confession from Maloney of his part in the botched raid. He was later arrested in Bristol before Christmas 2010.
Maloney had originally been the getaway driver, but helped to ransack Mr Stewart's home.
He was present when "things got out of hand" and Mr Stewart was struck over the head to stop him struggling.
Victor Stewart's family released a statement following the sentencing stating he was one of the most "decent and hard working people that (anyone) would ever have the privilege to meet."
They said he would have worked 13 hours on the farm before he was killed.
He never dreamt whilst resting that anyone would or could be evil enough to violate his world and take his life.
Stewart family
"Our late parents instilled in him his love of the land and a work ethic based on decency, pride, honesty and hard physical labour.
"When they burgled his home for material possessions they stole the most precious invaluable item of them all, our parent's and Victor's lifetimes goal and dreams, our foundation in life.
There are no words to describe the physical and emotional impact of the loss that we have suffered. This has left us all with a life sentence. We will miss and love him forever."
I am asking those people who have information about the events at Victor’s house in Middletown to do the right thing and come forward.
Det Chief Insp Gareth Talbot
Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Talbot, the officer leading the investigation welcomed the sentencing.
"We hope it provides some small degree of comfort to the wider Stewart family," he said.
"His relative isolation at his home on Creevekeeran Road and his perceived wealth made him a target for a gang of robbers who, motivated by greed, ended up taking his life."
He said that Maloney had not worked alone and that as many as three other people took part in the robbery and attack.
"They should take no comfort in, so far, being able to evade justice. Police believe that others know what happened and who was involved," he added.
PSNI have reissued a photo of a safe taken by the gang which has yet to be recovered.
Anyone with any information relating to the crime can contact detectives at the incident room, which has a voicemail facility, on 028 3751 7390 or to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.