Defence, Crown argue sentence for accomplice

REGINA Was a 19-year-old man acting out of impulsivity and immaturity when he took part in the stabbing death of 16-year-old Hannah Leflar, or does the fact he was “looking forward” to the murder of an unsuspecting friend show he is deserving of an adult sentence?

Queen’s Bench Justice Lian Schwann is left with that and other questions as she works on deciding whether to sentence the male — 16 at the time of the Jan. 12, 2015, incident to which he’s pleaded guilty to second-degree murder — as a youth or as an adult.

Defence lawyer Greg Wilson argued his client is not among those exceptional cases meeting the test for an adult sentence.

Referencing the 19-year-old’s surprising admissions on Wednesday, Wilson acknowledged his client was aware of longtime friend Skylar Prockner’s intentions when they drove to Leflar’s home after school that day. And, according to the 19-year-old’s own testimony, he went into the house willingly to help his friend commit murder.

But the defence lawyer argued those factors, and the terrible nature of the crime, still do not push this case into an adult sentence.

Wilson said the Youth Criminal Justice Act contemplates sentencing for serious offences — even murder. He filed case law in which he said youths who committed the actual physical killing received youth sentences, noting his client was “someone standing in a room watching.” .

While the male said he was prepared to do whatever was required, Crown prosecutor Chris White said that’s a problem since what’s required is unknown.

White said not only is there no real, believable motive to the male’s participation, but the 19-year-old admitted to lying repeatedly. Because of that, White said very little is truly known — making it difficult to say he will be rehabilitated within a seven-year maximum youth sentence.