Justin Madden has been in custody since June, 2023. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Sentencing

RM of Buckland manslaughter case results in 8 year sentence

Sep 11, 2024 | 5:00 PM

A violent altercation between a man and his step-father, was fueled by alcohol and paranoia.

That was disclosed during Wednesday’s sentencing hearing for Justin Madden at Court of King’s Bench in Prince Albert. The 41-year-old received an eight-year prison sentence for the June 2023 death of Frank Lund.

A guilty plea to manslaughter was entered last June and a pre-sentence report was ordered which canvassed Madden’s history of alcohol abuse.

On the day of the incident, Prince Albert RCMP received a request to conduct a welfare check on a man at a home on Oxbow Street. Frank Lund, 78, was found deceased and through their investigation, police determined the death was suspicious.

According to the agreed statement of facts, the two men had lived together at the address and on June 4, had been drinking a 60oz. bottle of vodka they had purchased in Prince Albert.

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Believing Frank Lund was going to do something to his kids, Madden, who was by this time highly intoxicated, became enraged and began to hit him.

Frank Lund was a long-time firefighter for the Prince Albert Fire Department, serving from 1967 to 1992. (Facebook)

The subsequent fight progressed through several rooms in the house and ended after Frank Lund was on the ground with Madden kneeling on his chest. Noticing Frank had stopped breathing, Madden attempted CPR and administered Nitroglycerine (can be used for the acute relief of angina).

The autopsy was done on June 5, 2023 and the official cause of death was found to blunt force trauma to the head, neck and trunk. Noting the range of sentencing for manslaughter cases is typically four to 12 years, defence lawyer Brian Pfefferle told paNOW the eight-year sentence falls within the mid-range.

“It identifies here that someone had died from a very tragic, but prolonged beating and identifies there was also alcohol involved which reduces the incident from a murder to a manslaughter,” he said.

During his submissions, Pferrele noted Madden’s criminal record consisted of minor offences and this was the first time the struggling alcoholic had been incarcerated.

“If he didn’t hit rock bottom previously, this is hopefully the basement for rock bottom and he’ll only look upward from here.”

Prior to June’s hearing, Madden had initially been charged with second degree murder and was to be tried by judge and jury. When given an opportunity to speak, he said he wished the fight had not occurred.

“I’m sorry it happened. I miss him everyday,” he said.

To which Justice RC Mills replied it did happen and there are consequences.

No members of Lund’s family were present for the hearing, although two victim impact statements written by his children were filed for the judge. Crown Prosecutor Natasha McLean stated they had said they did not wish to attend.

With credit for remand, Madden has roughly six years left to serve. Upon his release, he has expressed a desire to leave the area and get help for his addictions.

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell