Tears shed as manslaughter sentencing requests entered

Letters apologizing to the victim’s family, written by a man who’s entered a manslaughter guilty plea, were read out in a Prince Albert courtroom on Friday.

The Crown is asking a Court of Queen’s Bench judge to sentence Blake David Norman, 25, to 15 years while his defence is seeking eight years.

Both sides spoke in depth to their sentencing submissions for Norman during his sentencing hearing for the manslaughter of 18-year-old Dakota Nayneecassum in 2012.

Norman is the fourth to plead guilty to manslaughter in Nayneecassum’s stabbing death. Michael Ward is currently serving eight years for manslaughter, Kyle Goodrich and Leo Raine serving 12, and an unnamed youth was sentenced to two years and five months.

At the trial for Norman’s co-accused, Tasia Natewayes, the court heard testimony saying Nayneecassum had been in the home of someone who “had a beef” with Natewayes’ then-boyfriend Kyle Goodrich.

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Goodrich, Norman, Raine, and the youth went into the home and Nayneecassum – who had no involvement in the issues that led them to the home that night – was stabbed.

Emotional letters read in court

In court, defence lawyer Morris Bodnar read two handwritten letters written by Norman on his behalf.

In the letters, Norman wrote he is “truly ashamed and sorry” for the offence that caused so much hurt, pain and grief to Nayneecassum’s family.

Norman was raised by a single mother, and would “often feel unwanted and rejected by” his father, who was not present in his life, he wrote.

While Bodnar read the letters Norman sat in the prisoner’s box, at times wiping his eyes. He grabbed tissues from a box with tightly cuffed hands. Norman tried to read the second letter, but became too emotional and let Bodnar read it instead.

His mother also sobbed in the courtroom’s gallery.

Numerous traumatic events occurred in Norman’s life in the weeks before Nayneecassum’s death that led him to cope with alcohol and hang out with the wrong people. A surgery Norman’s mom had undergone sent her into the intensive care unit for months, and Norman had watched his uncle succumb to cancer.

He wrote it was never in his knowledge there was a knife in the hands of one of his cohorts that night, and that he didn’t even know their names.

Regardless, “me being there is enough and I get that,” and “I will carry this guilt with me forever,” Norman wrote.

His life has changed since he was arrested in 2012 and been in jail, including further ingraining religion in his life and finding out his fiancée was pregnant. It’s been “heartbreaking” to see his daughter grow up through pictures, he said.

“I know you’re all searching for a reason why” this happened to Dakota, he wrote, and “so am I.”

“It’s impossible to make sense of such a senseless crime,” Norman wrote.

He said his family is disappointed in the path he went down, but has changed in the years since Nayneecassum’s death.

Sentencing arguments

Norman has a “significant” criminal record which includes three counts of criminal negligence causing death, said Crown Prosecutor Shawn Blackman, when compared to the three who had already been sentenced.

This led to his sentencing request of 15 years.

Bodnar gave a heated response to Blackman in court, saying the plea to criminal negligence had been part of a plea deal for Norman to get credit for time he’d already served, yet now it’s coming back to haunt Norman.

The incident involved a mattress fire being lit in a La Ronge apartment, and three people died as a result of that fire.

Bodnar told the court is seemed as though the Crown is looking at the past, saying Norman didn’t get enough time for the criminal negligence sentence, so “let’s just add a little on and give it to him again” with the sentence for manslaughter.

Bodnar stated Norman’s role in the stabbing was the most peripheral, and the person who actually wielded the knife that killed Nayneecassum only received 12 years.

Bodnar spoke highly of Norman in court, saying the fire in 2010 and criminal negligence pleas had changed the path of Norman’s life. His potential to move on from the La Ronge Ice Wolves and play on a higher level had been destroyed.

Yet, Bodnar said, Norman is enthusiastic about what he’ll do once his time is served. Bodnar said his client is interested in helping underprivileged aboriginal youths in Saskatoon pursue the trades, and also deterring criminal behavior by telling his own story.

On the subject of Gladue factors – which are adverse systemic circumstances aboriginal people face – Bodnar stated Norman is a treaty Indian, and dealt with racial discrimination throughout his hockey-playing days growing up.

However, Bodnar said the support Norman receives from his First Nations community is likely better than what most people receive in “the Caucasian community.”

Gladue factors must be considered by judges when they make sentencing decisions. There is no potential for alternative measures for Norman.

Norman’s sentencing spanned several hours, with Justice A. R. Rothery reserving her decision until June 22.

The Crown said Norman should receive credit for 1421 remand days in its 15-year sentence request, which includes DNA order and lifetime firearms prohibition.

claskowski@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @chelsealaskowsk