A white New Jersey man who unleashed a racially charged viral rant and spat at his black neighbors sobbed in court Friday as he was sentenced to a lengthy stay in prison, apologizing for his “insensitive and disrespectful words.”

Edward Cagney Mathews, 47, of Mount Laurel will be mandated to serve four years of an eight-year sentence for pleading guilty to four counts of bias intimidation as well as possession of a controlled, dangerous substance with intent to distribute, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Superior Court Judge Gerard H. Breland in Mount Holly made the ruling Friday after a tearful Mathews spent the last two and a half years locked up in jail.

“Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future,” Mathews said in his statement to the court while shackled and handcuffed. “I want to commit to rebuild the community.”

During his statement, Mathews apologized to the victims for his “insensitive and disrespectful words in the past.”

Mathews sparked outrage when he hurled racial slurs at his black neighbor in his Mount Laurel community following a dispute with his condo complex’s homeowners’ association in July 2021, Philly Voice reported.

Mathews was captured on footage referring to the neighbor as a “monkey” and a “n—-r” while bumping his chest and spitting on the man during the altercation.

During his racist tirade, Mathews challenged his neighbors “to come see me” and gave out his address.

The Mount Laurel Police Department began its investigation into the incident, first filing a harassment complaint against Mathews.

Officers then received a call a short time after filing the complaint that Mathews was using racial slurs against several other residents and needed to be removed from the area.

The video of the altercation went viral, resulting in hundreds of people flocking to his home, chanting his name and calling for his arrest.

Mathews, who worked as a construction foreman, was taken into custody on July 5, 2021, after the protesters surrounded his townhome, located about 17 miles east of Philadelphia.

Following a more thorough investigation, prosecutors found that multiple complaints had been filed with Mount Laurel police about Mathews over five years before his arrest.

Before his sentencing, Assistant Burlington County Prosecutor Jamie Hutchinson read victim impact statements from four current or former Mount Laurel condominium association residents, according to the outlet.

“The actions of what he did will forever stay a nightmare of the fear and anxiety he bestowed upon me,” Mathews’ former neighbor Denise Brown wrote in a statement. “I’m constantly looking over my shoulder and trusting no one.”

Authorities also revealed Mathews frequently called his black neighbors “monkeys,” put feces on their property, sent threatening emails and letters, and shot their cars with BBs before his arrest.

The outlet reported Mathews claimed he was drunk during his verbal assault.

The claim was backed up by his now-ex-wife, Shannon Schwartzhoff, who told the Daily Mail in 2021 of her former husband that “a lot of his best friends are black.” 

“He was drunk,” she told the outlet. “He has been having a lot of problems in the neighborhood with the Home Owners’ Association. There’s been some money gone missing and he is trying to stop that.”

Schwartzhoff has since filed for divorce and sold their townhome. 

Mathews will be credited for the 886 days he has already served and will be eligible for parole in 16 months, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Breland also ordered Mathews to pay $4,408 in restitution and undergo racial sensitivity training in prison.