Man sentenced in Pelican Narrows stabbing death
A 21-year-old man was sentenced for stabbing a man in Pelican Narrows Friday in what a provincial court judge called another tragic case of violence fueled by alcohol.
Curtis Joel Michel was sentenced to six years in jail Friday at Prince Albert Provincial Court. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of Dale Edward Custer, who died from a stab wound to the chest following an incident in Pelican Narrows on June 10, 2017. Provincial Court Judge Gerald Morin said the case underscores the extreme poverty and issues with alcohol that persist in Pelican Narrows. Morin said he’s been keeping track of homicides in the community, counting 21 since 2001.
“In a small community that is a sad, sad statement of affairs,” Morin said in court Friday. “I can see their pain. I know that these tragic situations hurt people.”
Michel apologized for stabbing Custer in court, saying he takes full responsibility and hopes he can one day be forgiven.