By Ryan Pilon

Halkett received manslaughter, not second degree murder charge

Oct 19, 2010 | 11:32 AM

pA Now Staff

Cody Halkett pleaded not guilty to second degree murder, but guilty to manslaughter.

Halkett is the 21-year-old Prince Albert man, who viciously beat a 16-year-old girl before driving a wooden stake through her neck.

The crown agreed to the manslaughter charge and a joint was made that Halkett would get a life sentence with eligibility for parole in seven years.

The sentence is the almost same as if he was charged with second degree murder, with one difference.

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“With second degree murder, the parole eligibility would have been a little higher, in the range of three to five more years,” said John Morral, the crown prosecutor.

Morral said he didn't pursue a second degree murder charge because the case would have to go through trial, where there was a chance Halkett could've received a lighter sentence.

“You never know what the juries might do. And certainly if the verdict had come back with manslaughter, then we would be getting a lot lesser sentence,” said Morral.

The difference between second degree murder and manslaughter is there needs to be a certain level of intent in order to be charged with second degree murder.

Manslaughter could be applied to what Halkett did because he had been drinking, Morral said.

“If drugs or alcohol are involved, sometimes that’s where you usually see the manslaughter verdict coming in,” he said.

Morral said he consulted the victim’s family first and they were fully supportive of the manslaughter charge.

“They were in complete agreement with how we proceeded in this matter,” Morral said.

rpilon@rawlco.com