By paNOW Staff

UPDATED: Saskatoon man gets 11 years in prison for manslaughter

Feb 5, 2013 | 9:32 AM

Bre McAdam

paNOW Staff

A Saskatoon man who stabbed another man during an argument in a Broadway Avenue apartment last summer was sentenced to 11 years in prison at Court of Queen's Bench in Saskatoon Tuesday.

Arnold Halkett, 47, pleaded guilty in November to a charge of manslaughter in the death of 29-year-old Nicolaas Smith, who died on June 8, 2012.

The Crown had argued for a 15-year-sentence, citing the fact that Halkett had 106 prior criminal convictions. But prosecutor Bruce Bauer thinks the 11-year-sentence is appropriate.

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“It's within the range and at the high end of the range. This type of offense is between four and 12 years,” he said.

The defense had argued for a 10-year-sentence, largely because Halkett admitted to the crime. But Justice Ron Mills said that acceptance does nothing to protect society from Halkett.

During sentencing arguments in January court heard Halkett and Smith met after Smith moved into his apartment above Buds on Broadway.

A roommate told police the men were drinking with a third man and started arguing over the price of a prescription pill.

Halkett killed Smith by stabbing him in the heart.

As tears rolled down her cheeks, Smith's mother Martha Tansay told reporters she's glad everything is over.

“I'm just pleased with the Saskatoon police department that they got it over and done with as quickly as they did,” she said, adding there's still a lot of pain regardless of the sentence. Smith's daughter was born a few months after his death.

“We have a little girl that doesn't know her dad.”

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