Man appealing conviction as well as sentence

A month after appealing his sentence, Keith Clarence Napope is now appealing his conviction for participating in a drug robbery in which a man was killed.

Following a trial in September, a jury found Napope, 32, guilty of robbery but not guilty of manslaughter in connection to the 2014 stabbing death of 35-yearold Johnathon Keenatch-Lafond.

Last week, Napope’s lawyer, Brian Pfefferle, filed a notice to appeal the jury’s robbery conviction. The grounds of appeal include the trial judge erring by allowing the Crown to “lead good character evidence” about the victim while denying the defence an opportunity to reveal the victim’s history of violence through the disclosure of his criminal record.

The appeal also states that “evidence tendered at trial was insufficient to convict the Appellant, thereby constituting an unreasonable or inconsistent verdict.”

Napope received a seven-year sentence on Dec. 13. The Crown had argued for a 10-year term while the defence argued for three years followed by probation. Pfefferle filed an appeal on the sentencing decision later that day. Reasons include the sentence focusing too heavily on denunciation and deterrence and not enough on Napope’s mitigating factors, and the judge making findings of fact inconsistent with the jury’s findings.

Keenatch-Lafond was stabbed after a group of masked men broke into his apartment suite, demanding drugs and money.

Through its verdict, Pfefferle believes the jury must have found Napope helped orchestrate the robbery from outside the apartment. However, Justice Grant Currie ruled a robbery by definition involves weapons and violence, regardless of what role Napope played in the drug rip.

Currie also categorized the robbery as a home invasion, which carries a sentencing range of between seven and 10 years.

With three years of enhanced remand credit, Napope has four years left to serve.