Teenage killer appeals sentence
Prockner argues judge ignored evidence of ‘significant mental health challenges’
Skylar Prockner, the young man convicted in the death of Regina teenager Hannah Leflar, is appealing his sentence for first-degree murder.
Queen’s Bench Justice Jennifer Pritchard sentenced 19-year-old Prockner on July 5 to life imprisonment with a 10-year parole ineligibility. Though he was 16 years old at the time of the crime, Prockner was sentenced as an adult.
Leflar was stabbed multiple times in her Regina home on Jan. 12, 2015.
A notice of appeal filed July 31 states that Pritchard “erred in law” on five grounds, four of which are related to Prockner’s mental health.
The notice of appeal states Pritchard erred in elevating Prockner’s “level of culpability and moral blameworthiness … as a result of numerous offers of professional help made to (Prockner) and his family prior to the commission of the crime.”
It states Pritchard ignored “significant evidence pointing to the lack of maturity of (Prockner) coupled with significant mental health challenges that he was/is facing.”
The appeal goes on to say that she speculated “in the absence of clear expert evidence, as to the role that (Prockner’s) depression may or may not have played in the commission of the offence.”
It states that Pritchard declined to quash the provincial director’s decision to refuse Prockner intensive rehabilitative custody and supervision, pursuant to the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
It also states that Pritchard “took the offence of first-degree murder beyond the scope of … the Youth Criminal Justice Act.”
In sentencing, Pritchard said: “Ascribing Skylar’s actions on Jan. 12, 2015, to immaturity or depression simply does not provide a convincing rationale for his behaviour. Jealousy and anger do.”
During Prockner’s two-week sentencing hearing, which ended May 23, court heard that he couldn’t cope with the fact that Leflar had ended their relationship in 2014.
The Crown provided details of Prockner’s subsequent behaviour: stalking Leflar, talk of killing her and the creation of Project Zombify, a plan to attack Leflar’s then-boyfriend with knives and baseball bats. She would have been “collateral damage” had she shown up too.
The plan was kiboshed after Leflar broke up with that boy.
Prockner decided to kill Leflar at around 1 a.m. the day of the murder, after seeing photos of her with a new boyfriend on Facebook.
Prockner and a friend waited outside of her home after school. Prockner followed her inside, and stabbed and slashed at her 10 times with a buck knife.
Prockner wishes to be present at an appeal hearing. He is represented by legal aid lawyer James Struthers.
“It’s been really difficult the last couple of years,” Janet Leflar, Hannah’s mother, said on May 23.
“Every time we walk into court, the scab gets ripped off again, so how do we grieve? I need to grieve for my daughter and I can’t because we keep getting pulled back in …”