Extent of guilt in manslaughter debated
The precise nature of Gerald Earl Mcdormand’s role in the stabbing death of Blaine Katz was debated on Thursday as Crown and defence counsel wrangled over sentence.
Mcdormand, 46, was found guilty earlier this month of manslaughter, Regina Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Meghan Mccreary having found he played a role in a fatal assault on 39-year-old Katz on Aug. 12, 2017.
Another man, Steven Paul St. Pierre, inflicted a fatal stab wound during the attack at a Cornwall Street apartment.
While Mccreary had a reasonable doubt as to whether Mcdormand directly participated in the attack, she nonetheless found him guilty as a party to the offence. She determined there was ample evidence, including through Mcdormand’s own police statement, to find he aided and abetted St. Pierre.
On Thursday, the matter was back before the court so Crown and defence counsel could argue sentence.
Mccreary reserved her decision to Oct. 28.
Co-crown prosecutor David Belanger urged the court to impose a sentence higher than the 12½ years received by St. Pierre, arguing Mcdormand was more involved in the planning and setup of the assault, rendering him more morally blameworthy than his accomplice.
“But for (Mcdormand’s) actions in the setting up of the victim, the victim wouldn’t have been killed,” Belanger argued, adding St. Pierre didn’t know Katz and only got involved because Mcdormand brought him in as muscle.
Belanger pointed out Mcdormand’s record contains 44 convictions, including nine priors for violence — convictions defence lawyer Jeff Deagle said are the result of a long-term drug addiction.
Deagle argued there is no evidence his client knew St. Pierre had a knife going in to the assault — an important element he said impacts Mcdormand’s moral culpability and should therefore lessen his sentence.
Deagle suggested a sentence in the range of seven to 10 years, less remand credit.
Mcdormand provided a brief, emotional apology, stating, “My heart goes out to the family. I’m sorry for my actions. I can’t take it back but I’m very sorry.”
Earlier in the afternoon, Mccreary heard numerous victim impact statements from Katz’s family, who remembered their loved one as a warm-hearted, considerate man who made people laugh and had a penchant for cooking.
Just 16 and 10 at the time of the homicide, Katz’s two children wrote of the devastation wrought by the sudden loss of their father, an important and supportive presence in their lives.
His son wrote about how he went from being a student with high grades to dropping out of school and giving up on football and his friends because of the pain of the loss.