Devastated Morley mom didn’t live to see son’s killers brought to justice

The family of Lori Raduly believe she died of a broken heart a little more than a year after her young son was brutally slain, court heard Friday.

Crown prosecutor Jillian Pawlow told Calgary Court of Queen’s Bench Karen Horner that the Morley mother died last Oct. 31, without seeing her son’s killers brought to justice.

“It was because of heart failure,” Pawlow said, of the official cause of Raduly’s death.

“Many members of their family have indicated she died from a broken heart.”

The prosecutor was making submissions at the sentencing hearing of Tylen Tray Poucette, 22, who pleaded guilty a week ago to manslaughter in the Aug. 6, 2016, death of his friend Kori Wesley.

Reading from a statement of agreed facts, Pawlow told Horner that Wesley, 21, was fatally stabbed at the Chiniki Rodeo Grounds during a two-on-one fight between Poucette, a youth and the deceased.

She said Wesley, Poucette and the 17-year-old had been drinking and driving around the Morley reserve that evening, when the deceased and the youth began arguing about a female they knew.

After stopping at the rodeo grounds the disagreement continued, with Poucette at one point intervening after taking offence to a comment Wesley made about the woman.

“Poucette … began assaulting Wesley by striking (him) with his fists,” Pawlow said.

“(The youth) then jumped in and

began fighting with Wesley, also using his fists,” she said.

“During the fight (the teenager) pulled out a knife and began stabbing Wesley a number of times, including once in the neck.”

The prosecutor said a badly bleeding Wesley then fell to the ground.

While he was on the ground the teen continued to stab, punch and kick him and Poucette also kicked the deceased in the back and torso.

The assailants then left, leaving Wesley to bleed to death.

Poucette returned the next day to find his friend dead, the prosecutor said.

Pawlow said Poucette, who was arrested two days later, was co-operative with police, even helping to look for the knife at the scene.

“We found many knives in that area, but none that were connected to the offence.”

Defence counsel Andrea Urquhart said Poucette was sorry for having taken part in his friend’s slaying.

Horner accepted a joint submission for a 44-month jail term. With credit for pre-sentence credit, Poucette must serve another 116 days.

The stabber earlier pleaded guilty to manslaughter under the Youth Criminal Justice Act and was handed a three-year sentence (including two in custody) in addition to the two years he spent on remand.

It was because of heart failure. Many members of their family have indicated she died from a broken heart. JILLIAN PAWLOW, Crown prosecutor