Nina Courtepatte's bruised and bloody body was found on an Edmonton golf course in April 2005. (CBC)

A young Edmonton woman who was convicted of first-degree murder in the slaying of 13-year-old Nina Courtepatte was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years.

Stephanie Bird, 22, had originally been convicted of manslaughter in the April 2005 beating death and sentenced to 12 years in prison.

In a 9-0 decision last month, the Supreme Court of Canada upgraded that conviction to first-degree murder after ruling the evidence at trial could not support a defence of "abandonment" and that "no other defence arises on the facts."

Under her original 12-year sentence, Bird would have been eligible for day parole in August. But her lawyer, Colleen Connolly, told reporters outside the courthouse that Bird is resigned to serving more time in prison.

"She wasn't moaning and begroaning the amount of time that she would have to stay in an institution before she could get parole," Connolly said.

Stephanie Bird, seen here in a 2008 courtroom sketch, was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison with parole eligibility in 10 years. (CBC)"What she was talking about is how guilty she feels, and how she doesn't know how she's ever going to forgive herself for what she did here, and how she helped these people and what they did."

First-degree murder convictions normally carry a life sentence with no parole eligibility for 25 years. But since Bird was a young offender who was later sentenced as an adult, she was eligible for a life sentence with no chance of parole for at least 10 years.

Lured to golf course

Bird was part of a group who lured Courtepatte from West Edmonton Mall to a golf course by falsely promising to take her to a bush party.

Bird hit Courtepatte with a wrench and Courtepatte was then held down and sexually assaulted. Bird held Courtepatte down for a short time, but went back to the car before the 13-year-old was beaten to death.

Bird was originally charged with first-degree murder, but she was found guilty of a lesser charge of manslaughter during her trial in 2007.

Her lawyer used a defence of "abandonment," arguing Bird had a change in heart in the killing.

The Crown appealed the manslaughter conviction but it was upheld by the Alberta Court of Appeal. The Crown then appealed that ruling to the Supreme Court of Canada, which convicted Bird of first-degree murder in December.