Fate of woman who killed sons expected Monday
Defence has asked for no jail time
A woman who killed her two young sons will be back in Wetaskiwin court Monday, when she is expected to be sentenced for manslaughter in their deaths.
Allyson McConnell drowned her two sons, 10-month-old Jayden and two-year-old Connor, in a bathtub at the family’s home in Millet in February 2010.
She then tried unsuccessfully to kill herself by throwing herself off an overpass on to Whitemud Drive.
McConnell and her husband, Curtis, had been embroiled in increasingly bitter divorce proceedings at the time, and the Australian-born McConnell has been described as having been tired, stressed and depressed.
Originally charged with second-degree murder, she was convicted of manslaughter after a two-week trial in Wetaskiwin.
During the trial, McConnell testified that she did not remember anything around the time of the children’s deaths, which a doctor said could be because of an overdose of drugs she had taken, the trauma of the boys’ deaths, or from a head injury sustained during her suicide attempt.
Justice Michelle Crighton found there was “a black hole” around the time of the children’s deaths between Jan. 29 and Feb. 1, 2010, which left Crighton with a reasonable doubt about whether McConnell was able to form the intent for murder.
Instead, Crighton convicted McConnell on the lesser offences of manslaughter.
The Crown is appealing the manslaughter convictions.
It is requesting the convictions be replaced with second- degree murder or that a new trial be ordered.
Despite the appeal, the sentencing is still expected to go ahead as planned Monday morning.
During sentencing arguments last month, Crown prosecutor Gordon Hatch asked Crighton to consider a prison sentence of eight years, taking into account the time McConnell has already spent in custody.
Defence lawyer Peter Royal argued that a short jail term of less than two years — and possibly no period of custody at all — could be appropriate and meet the principles of sentencing.
If prison time is imposed, Royal asked that McConnell be able to serve it in a mental hospital.