By Thia James

7 ½ years in prison for parking lot stabbing death

Jun 24, 2015 | 10:56 AM

A man who chased his victim before killing him with a single fatal stab wound will serve seven and a half years in a federal penitentiary.

Justice M.D. Acton sentenced Charles Adam Stewart at the Court of Queen’s Bench in Prince Albert on Wednesday morning for a manslaughter charge stemming from the September 2013 killing of Davis David Broussie, 25, in Prince Albert.

Stewart, dressed in a blue plaid shirt, sat with his head on his folded arms for a short time as the judge read from his written decision before standing back up. Stewart’s mother quietly wept in the gallery behind him, consoled by his stepfather.

“The actions of the accused appears impulsive,” Acton said, before concluding that Stewart should have known that his actions carried a risk of harm.

At his sentencing hearing, the court heard that the Stewart was angered by “amorous advances” towards a female companion in the car.

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Stewart had only met Broussie the night he killed him. The two got into a brief altercation outside a vehicle they had been driving in with Stewart’s friend. Stewart got back into the car, but when he once again got out, he and Broussie got into another fight.

Stewart pushed Broussie to the ground and when Broussie got up and tried to walk away Stewart followed him, stabbing Broussie once in the centre of the chest.

Broussie’s body was found in the Subway Restaurant parking lot in the 200-block of 15th Street West. He later died in the hospital.

A coroner’s report identified the cause of death as “a single stab wound to the chest that pierced his heart.”

Stewart fled the scene and disposed of the knife, which was never found.

He was arrested and charged with second-degree murder after the police searched his home. Months later, he was released on bail. 

He was under house arrest and breached conditions once, the judge said.

In February, Stewart entered a guilty plea on the lesser charge of manslaughter and the Crown accepted it.

Counsel for Stewart had requested a sentence of five to five and a half years, while the Crown sought a sentence of eight to 10 years.

While the judge’s sentence took Gladue factors into account, Stewart’s mental health history figured more prominently.

From the age of 15 months, Stewart was a special needs child, who “suffered from parental separation, and illness.”

According to the report, Stewart was beaten up in the Prince Albert Correctional Centre “due to being small for his age and disfiguring tumours.”

As well, Stewart hasn’t listened to his mother’s warnings about his alcohol issues. He does not handle alcohol well, but refuses to accept he has an alcohol problem.

Stewart’s mental health has been an issue since the age of eight. From that time, his mother was concerned about his aggressive behaviour, the judge read.

“He has suffered blackouts and seizures,” Acton said, and added that as a youth, Stewart heard voices in the walls.

Stewart sought help from a mental health therapist, but that was not successful.

Now, as an adult, he is unable to read and write. His job experience is limited to working a total of four days at a local restaurant.  Since the age of 18, he has received disability payments.

Acton recommended that part, or all, of Stewart’s sentence be served in the Saskatoon Regional Psychiatric Centre.

“[An] intervention program should focus on your spirituality,” he said. The presentence report had described Stewart as a spiritual person.

Broussie’s family was not in attendance and had not entered a victim impact statement.

-With files from Chelsea Laskowski.

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames